Mr Jeffries and Maddy's Return
by jkirsch
Summary: When Maddy returns to Stoneybridge, Jeffries and the wolfblood girl have to confront the biggest challenges they've ever faced. Given the tragic reason for Maddy's return, and with a new threat encroaching on Stoneybridge, the two will have to use their wits plus their unlikely connection to overcome the impossible. This is a Series 3 alternate story arc (some decent Maddian too)
1. Chapter 1

The sun had just plunged over the horizon when Mr. Jeffries closed up his office to head home for the day. The history teacher had been grading papers for three hours straight. His eyes felt ready to roll out of their sockets. His fingers ached from scribbling in red ink. His head—well, it suffered from a dull ache that promised to become a drumbeat in the very foreseeable future. For most people notating across dozens and dozens of papers, each student's words would have started to blur together. Not for Tim Jeffries.

Jeffries walked briskly to the bike rack behind the faculty offices. He rummaged through his briefcase, double-checking and then triple-checking that everything was in order. That sense of satisfaction made him smile even though no one else could see it. _They all passed, and Tom outdid himself._ Tom Okanawe was one of those students who had the greatest potential, who participated effectively in class yet struggled on the actual test-taking. Jeffries was glad to see that it was starting to come together for the young man.

 _Tom's first 10/10 exam. I can't wait to see the expression on his face when I hand this back to him._ Jeffries mounted the briefcase on the bike's basket and proceeded to pedal his way home. The town of Stoneybridge became a drowsy creature at this time of day. Bernie was just getting ready to close up his eatery, and all the other shops along the main avenue were either dark…or about to be. The simple satisfaction of a day's work hard-done and _well-done_ made Jeffries less observant as he made his way home partly in a daze, partly lost in his own thoughts.

The history teacher could be forgiven for not noticing the shadow that seemed to follow him. A shadow that moved at a discreet distance.

Jeffries stopped outside his modest bungalow. Putting the bike up against the side of the house, he left it propped without a lock. That was just the kind of town Stoneybridge was. Jeffries took out his key, unlocked the door. Normally he was so meticulous, always locking it behind him. Tonight he was so distracted his subconscious decided not too—and that turned out to be a fateful decision.

Slapping his briefcase on the table, the middle-aged history teacher moved to the refrigerator for a cold glass of water to quench his sandpaper-dry throat. After a few gulps he strode over to shut the shades. He was just deciding whether to get ahead on some of the Year 9 students' essays on the War of the Roses when he felt something. A presence. He turned slowly. The hairs on his neck snapped up till they all stood straighter than toothpicks. His eyes widened as he saw something that he couldn't un-see. Something that _couldn't_ be real.

"I must be working too hard," he muttered. "I'm so exhausted that I'm hallucinating." He blinked again, expecting the wolf in his living room to magically disappear. Instead the lanky wolf with the mesmerizing golden eyes and tawny fur just darted around wildly, whimpering and trembling. Jeffries stood there for a good fifteen heartbeats before he came to a few conclusions.

 _I am not going insane. I am not imagining this animal in the middle of my living room._ He abruptly realized that he had been slowly edging over towards the kitchen. The young wolf continued to whimper and keen, its fur in disarray as its eyes looked frantically around the room. Jeffries was no Wolf Whisperer, but he had a fairly strong notion of what might help. Carefully, making sure to avoid any sudden movements, he opened the bottom drawer of the fridge and took out a package of bacon. Ever so delicately he unpackaged it, laid the strips of meat on the floor. He stepped back gingerly. He stood there…waiting. _Please let it choose this for dinner instead of me._

The sight of a pile of scrumptious bacon managed to distract the wolf from its anxieties. Hunger overcame whatever stresses had made the animal bold enough or reckless enough to enter a manmade dwelling. Jeffries watched the creature, surprised at the thoughts which distracted him even as he knew he should be concerned that there was a wild wolf in his own house! _What if it's rabid? I should really call animal control right now._ Yet the animal was also breath-taking, like a furry gem that didn't belong in the modern world. The same thing that made Jeffries love history, cherish the things that were now out of place in the modern world, that same passion made him see the wolf in his kitchen just now as this little piece of history come to life. _How many years have wolves been thought to be extinct in the UK?_ His mind reeled at the implications of this, but the history teacher in him didn't want to ruin it all by calling the authorities. It was like he'd stumbled on some historical treasure. Jeffries felt an instinct to keep this secret just to himself, crazy as it sounded—even to him.

But he wasn't prepared for what came next, nothing could have prepared him. Nothing.

Jeffries watched as the wolf finished its meal. It shuddered, contorted, whined with a pitiful sound that tore at Jeffries' heart. It then proceeded to _change_. Its talons retracted into something resembling fingers. The snout drew back as the muzzle and jaw morphed into something resembling a human face. It all happened so fast that to Jeffries the wolf might as well have vanished and been instantly replaced. And yet what confronted him now made his chest tighten before his heart felt like it might explode.

There was now a girl where a wolf had once stood. A teenage girl. She was short and petite and the jacket she wore seemed very familiar to Jeffries. She blinked rapidly, her vivid hazel eyes filled with pain. She looked exhausted. She looked like she hadn't slept or eaten in _days_. Jeffries had shoved a hand over his mouth to keep from shouting as the wolf had changed into its new form. After a brief internal battle where part of him reawakened to the idea that maybe, just maybe he really _was_ losing his ever-loving mind, Jeffries' eyes widened like saucers. He knew this girl. She had been one of his best students.

"Maddy Smith?" Jeffries remained at a devastated loss for words, rooted to the spot as his brain tried to process the impossible. He remembered Maddy and her family abruptly leaving town several months ago.

A thin, barely perceptible whisper trailed from the girl's lips. "Mr. Jeffries. Please…please help." Before Jeffries could recover from his shock the brown-haired girl collapsed at his feet. He sprang into action, gently smacking her cheeks as he drew the cold glass of water he'd been drinking and put it to her lips. Luckily Jeffries could compartmentalize. He threw aside the fact that Maddy Smith had just changed from a wolf right in front of his own eyes. He had a girl in need of his help, and he, Timothy Jeffries, was known for one thing above all else. He always put his kids first, put his students first, they were his responsibility. And this was no different.

 _What in the bloody world is going on here?_ Maddy's eyes fluttered open, her breathing shallow and weak. He made her take a few sips of water. Satisfied that she'd at least stay conscious for him, Jeffries picked her up gently and carried her to the couch. Setting her down, he stood back as Maddy's eyes finally took on a semblance of awareness. The girl's expression looked so forlorn it ripped his guts out. Before he knew what he was doing, Jeffries knelt beside Maddy on the couch and looked down at her with concern lining every crease of his face.

"Maddy, whatever is wrong, you're safe here. Do you understand? If you need my help all you have to do is ask." _Does she have some strange disease that causes her to change into a wolf?_ As absurd as it sounded, Jeffries was half-convinced it could somehow be true.

"Mr. Jeffries…" Her voice still sounded so weak and Jeffries was too alarmed by the whole situation to sit on formality.

"Please, call me Tim or just Jeffries. Maddy, what's happened? Where are your parents?" When he said the word 'parents' he saw a spasm of pain flash across the girl's face. He felt suddenly uncomfortable. Comforting people was not the history teacher's forte. Touch generally made Jeffries feel queasy.

Maddy sat up, tears sliding down her cheeks as she brushed them away just as quickly.

"Sir, if you don't help me I…" Tears welled in her eyes again and Jeffries took her by the hands. Her chest was heaving, her eyes looking wild and, if Jeffries wasn't mistaken, they were even starting to glow yellow.

"Maddy, just take some deep breaths for me. I've already told you, I'm going to help you."

"No matter what?" Maddy said, her tone half-pleading, half-doubtful.

"No matter what," Jeffries said firmly.

Maddy leveled a stare at him, her eyes hardening. "I'm a wolfblood. I…I can change into a wolf. Sometimes I have to, when there's a full moon. My family had to flee Stoneybridge because of what we are…because we didn't want people finding out." She took a shaky gulp of air as more tears leaked out. "I came back to Stoneybridge because my parents are dead…only to find all my friends are away and I didn't know who to turn to…and before I could figure out what to do I started panicking, wolfing out, and then I couldn't control it. I turned into my wolf and I didn't know where else to go. When I saw you—" Seeing how this was just working Maddy up into a frantic anxiety attack all over again, Jeffries did the one thing he never did.

"SHH. You're safe here now. I've got you." He hugged Maddy, at first stiffly because, really, one just never hugged one's own students. But as he felt her relax against him like a lost child, he couldn't help it. Jeffries loosened his arms, just letting his presence comfort her as he tried to absorb the awful news. Maddy's parents, dead? But how?

That would have to wait for another time, Jeffries realized. The exhausted wolf girl had fallen asleep in his arms. The poor girl really _hadn't_ slept in days.

 _What am I going to do? For the love of God, what do I do now?_ Jeffries sat there, Maddy fast asleep and already starting to drool on the sleeve of his sweater. He had a decision to make—several decisions in fact. He looked over towards the countertop separating the kitchen and the living room, at the phone resting on the marble counter. He reached for it as one thought pounded in his head to join the real headache that was already in progress.

 _I hope I'm doing the right thing…._

 **A/N - Hi Wolfblood fans! I'm back :) This story will focus on not just Maddy but also a lot of characters that don't get enough love in the Wolfblood universe. Jeffries, Ceri & Gerwyn, Katrina, and others will be important. Of course Rhydian will still be pretty significant further on, but for "Mr. Jeffries and Maddy's Return" I'll be covering new ground I haven't dealt with in any of my other stories. Don't worry, I'll still be working on the sequel to "Wolf Bond" and I promise not to start any other projects besides these two.**

 **Many thanks to two of my beta readers who helped me polish up this chapter. It's much the better for it. I hope you enjoy where the story goes and I'll do my hardest to make it a read worthwhile. As always, thanks for any comments. They're sort of like oxygen to a writer, so please review :-)**


	2. Taking a Chance

**Chapter 2 - Taking a Chance**

 _Three figures padded out of the woods overlooking the outskirts of Stoneybridge. Their luminous eyes blazed like tiny flames in the dying light. Two wolves looked back to their leader, a sable wolf with patches of silver-white fur clinging to its shoulders like moonlight. The moonlight wolf huffed, its keen sight pinpointed to the distance. The search was almost over. With a growl of impatience the alpha lunged ahead._

 ** _BACK AT MR. JEFFRIES' HOME…_**

Jeffries' voice had soured to a note proclaiming that he was starting to find this conversation _very_ tiresome.

"Did I stutter, Mrs. Hungerford? As I just stated, I am feeling unwell and will not be in tomorrow."

"But Sir, you _never_ call in sick. I don't think it's ever happened."

Jeffries tried not to heave a deafening sigh into the phone. "Right. There's a first time for everything, Mrs. Hungerford. Have a good evening." _End Call_. The middle-aged history teacher swiveled back towards the kitchen. He rubbed absently at his scruffy face as he considered what to do. As only a history teacher can, Jeffries abruptly thought back to the Battle of Waterloo and how Napoleon had failed to be decisive enough. Jeffries had promised to help Maddy and he would do just that. The only problem was that as he considered exactly _how_ , he felt like he was staring out over a minefield.

Maddy whimpered quietly in her sleep, shifting on the couch. Her clothes looked filthy. Her jacket sported more stains than a used ruby uniform. Her hair was a wild mess. She even smelled. Jeffries sighed, thrusting aside his head teacher's instinct to assert perfect order and cleanliness.

 _This is ridiculous. I will not have the girl sleeping on my couch all night._ He strode into the guest bedroom, pulled back the comforter. He came back to the couch, gently picked Maddy up and carried her to the bed. He took off her jacket and left her otherwise just as she'd arrived. The whole situation still felt very awkward for the history teacher. Carrying a sleeping student into his guest bedroom just didn't feel right. He cared about his students. Yet this was a level of connection that went far beyond the proper teacher-student relationship. If Maddy had had anyone else in her life to help her through this right here, right now, Jeffries would gladly have handed off the girl and her problems to that unlucky soul. The dilemma was, he couldn't abandon a child in need even if it would put him in a difficult situation. _And do situations get any stranger or harder than this?_

He shook his head, surveying the sleeping girl. _Filthy clothes or not, it'll have to do_. With a frown he pulled up the comforter to Maddy's chin, turned off the lights and shut the door behind him as he left the room. The rest of the evening flowed along quietly—just as well thanks to everything crowding around inside Jeffries' burdened brain.

 _I have to call Social Services, take care of registration papers to get Maddy back in school. I don't have any clothes for her to speak of._ He would have to make a supply run the next morning even though he was supposed to be 'sick'. And he knew exactly less than nothing about teenage girls' taste in clothing, nor did he have a clue as to Maddy's size, and there were other unmentionable feminine products that left the normally confident history teacher feeling extremely daunted and totally out of his depth. He sighed, calling the one person he could call on such short notice.

"Bernie?"

"Tim? I just returned home from the shop. What can I do for you?"

"May I speak to your wife?"

There was a confused pause. "I should expect so. Can I ask what this is about?" Jeffries felt the throbbing in his head throb just a little harder. Bernie was a nice enough chap, but the man was notoriously nosy. Not in a million thousand centuries would Jeffries have told the shopkeeper a single word more than strictly necessary.

"I need her advice on shopping. It's a long story." Apparently the word 'shopping' scared Bernie off because the next thing he knew Jeffries heard Bernadette's voice.

"Tim! It's good to hear from you." Her voice had the kind of warmth to it that always passed between two people who'd grown up together. As a child Bernadette had lived a few doors down from Jeffries. They'd been a few years apart, but that hadn't stopped them from becoming friends.

"I'm in a bit of a bind," Jeffries began, his heart rate kicking up a level. Bernadette was a sweet woman with a heart of gold, but she was just _awful_ at keeping secrets. She made Bernie look like an MI6 agent. Jeffries was almost certain that Bernadette could have gossiped her way around England three times over and still not run out of tidbits to spill, assuming she ever left Stoneybridge—which wasn't likely.

"I need your help, B. I've got someone visiting and her luggage never arrived. She literally has nothing more than the clothes on her back. I was hoping you could join me tomorrow morning for a shopping run, help me get her everything she needs. She's quite ill and I would rather not attempt to 'go it alone' on this one. Will you help a desperate man?"

Bernadette's rich, throaty laugh put Jeffries at ease. "For you, dearie? Of course. What time?" They made arrangements to meet in the morning and Jeffries put the phone down with yet another sigh. He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, deep in thought. He walked over to his work desk, turned on his laptop and tried a flurry of fruitless searches, looking for anything related to 'wolfblood', or anything about any condition that caused people to turn into wolves. After the search engines slammed him with a tsunami of worthless results yakking about werewolves, he'd had it. He took some pills for his headache, rummaged up some toiletries, which he placed outside Maddy's door, and then turned in for the night.

 ** _THE NEXT DAY…_**

Maddy hunched over at the small oak table in the kitchen. She clinked her spoon against the bowl as she ate her cereal, still groggy and as uncommunicative as the typical just-awoken teenager.

Jeffries leaned against the counter opposite, arms folded across his chest.

"I made arrangements with Social Services this afternoon. You'll be staying with me until we can implement something more permanent." Maddy had slept through the better part of the day. It was already nearly dinner and the girl was just now sitting down to eat 'breakfast'.

She didn't respond, just kept bringing the spoon mechanically to her mouth. Then her eyes flashed with sudden awareness. She looked up, face smoothed over with something resembling hope.

"Where is Rhydian? And what about Shan, Tom, and Jana?"

Jeffries sighed, pulled up a chair beside Maddy and poured himself a bowl. "It's half-term, Maddy, and on top of it all the half-term has been extended to three weeks due to unforeseen circumstances."

Maddy frowned. "What kind of 'circumstances', Sir?"

"Please just call me Tim or Jeffries," he reminded her, looking to the heavens as if they could provide the infinite patience he lacked. "Unfortunately our facilities manager found a structural problem with the east wing of the building. If they don't fix it, there's a danger it may collapse." Jeffries frowned as he thought back to the incompetent builders who had constructed Bradlington High. "Just to be safe they also have to check the rest of the building's foundation and perform all the repair work, so the school's closed until everything can be deemed completely safe. Some of the families took advantage of the longer half-term to get away. The Vaughns decided to take Rhydian and his foster brothers on a camping trip at the last minute."

"Where, Sir?" Maddy's brown eyes were desperate, shining with hope.

"Somewhere up north. He wanted to invite your friends to go along, and Mrs. Vaughn agreed. I cannot for the life of me remember where Mrs. Vaughn said they were going."

Maddy's face sparked with excitement. "We could find out though."

Jeffries nodded patiently. "We _could_. But first I think you need to tell me more about being a wolfblood and how I came to have a teenage girl as a wolf in the middle of my living room yesterday. If I'm going to help you, Maddy Smith, then you to need to be completely honest with me."

The brunette nodded. She told him as much as she could, leaving out how her parents had died and what had led up to it. That part was still too painful, too raw—Jeffries could tell and he didn't press it. Jeffries waited for her to finish. After what seemed like an hour but was actually closer to two, Maddy flopped back in her chair, her fingers drawing idle lines on the tabletop as she barely dared to peek up to see Jeffries' overall reaction.

Jeffries stood up, pacing back and forth as he tried to absorb it all. "So Jana and Rhydian…" He couldn't finish the sentence. He had not one but _three_ students who could change into a wolf. He burst out laughing before he could stop himself.

"Sir?" Maddy stood up and took her bowl to the sink. "Are you all right? I know what I told you is a lot to take in. I'm sure it probably sounds crazy…"

But Jeffries was already shaking his head. "No, Maddy. That's not why I laughed." They both stared at each other for a long moment. Understanding dawned on Maddy's face as she read the history teacher's mind. Maddy had the words out before Jeffries could start to say it.

"Nothing in this school gets passed me," Maddy piped up in her best Mr. Jeffries impersonation. Maddy giggled as Jeffries frowned for all he was worth. He couldn't hold it for long, and that frown slipped up into a rueful smile.

"Yes, yes, Maddy. I'm glad you are enjoying the irony of this situation." Jeffries ran a hand down his face. "Clearly there is a lot that I have been missing. From now on," Jeffries said, his tone turning brisk and businesslike, "I expect that to change."

Maddy walked over to Jeffries, her shoulders going rigid. "Okay, but you can't tell Rhydian and Jana that you know about them!"

Jeffries put up his hands. "Maddy, for the time being I will not say a word. You have _my_ word on that. Now come over and sit on the couch. I have some questions about all of this. Many, in fact." Maddy nodded and obediently took a seat on the cushions. Jeffries sat in the armchair opposite, gently probing her with questions until he felt he had a better handle on the whole wolfblood concept. He was relieved but also a little weirded out to discover it was not a 'disease' after all. Somehow the idea of a disease would have been more comforting to the history teacher, because at least then Jeffries could have imagined that Maddy could be cured. But there wasn't a cure to be had, it was just who Maddy was…and apparently some of his other students too. Perhaps he just had to accept that. But what if they were a danger to themselves or others? He had to consider that too, and it gave him pause.

"Maddy I will be completely honest with you. This is quite a lot to take in." He picked up the mug of coffee he'd left on the side table, taking a sip to fortify himself for whatever came next.

"Sir, if you can just convince the Vaughns to take me in! I need to be with Rhydian and my friends. They're my pack. Help me find out where they went and I can be out of your hair in no time. I can leave tomorrow," she said excitedly. But there was a fragility behind the excitement. Jeffries could see it, as plain as sunlight. She was still a mess inside and he could see how she pinned all her hopes that this brokenness inside her could somehow be magically healed if she just found her friends. On one level she was right, Jeffries knew, being around her friends _would_ at least help. But the road back would be longer, more arduous than that. Maddy needed to talk to a therapist, or at least someone with psychological smarts that Jeffries didn't have. With her being a wolfblood, Jeffries wasn't sure what options that left them. There were other considerations too. Now that she'd sought him out, Jeffries felt responsible for Maddy.

He set the coffee cup back on the table and folded his hands together on his lap before pinning her with his no-nonsense head teacher's look.

"Maddy, you're staying with me for the rest of the half-term. The Vaughns will be back by then, and then you'll get to see Rhydian and your friends. You need to take things slowly and re-acclimate to being back in Stoneybridge. Don't you think that's wise?"

Maddy shook her head, frowning. "Sir, I need to find my friends! Why won't you help me?"

Jeffries leaned forward, giving Maddy his most sympathetic look. "I am helping you, Maddy. Judging from the episode last night, we know that you are very much not yourself. You are still recovering from the trauma of everything that's happened. As you yourself told me, your wolf isn't stable. Am I right?"

Maddy gave a sullen nod as Jeffries continued. "So this means you could, as you say, 'wolf out' at the slightest provocation. It means that you aren't in full control of yourself." Jeffries hardened his resolve. "If you go running off looking for them, what might happen along the way? What happens if you 'wolf out' then? I can't drive you all around northern England or Scotland looking for them, Maddy. I have responsibilities here as head teacher. And you, Maddy Smith, need to take the time to heal. Your friends are not going anywhere. They _will_ be back. Until then we need to figure out what's best for you. Right now that involves you resting and gradually making this transition."

Then Jeffries said the words he instantly regretted.

"Think about what your parents would want, Maddy, for you to be prudent and safe about this." It was the exact _wrong_ thing to say and Jeffries knew it as he saw the pain ripple down Maddy's face. The girl's eyes glistened as she bolted from the sofa and ran to the bathroom.

 _You daft imbecile. What possessed you to say that?_

He was a teacher, he was supposed to be good with this sort of thing, wasn't he? _Being a teacher is one thing. Being responsible for the emotions of a teenage girl perched on a knife's edge after she's lost her parents—that's an entirely different beast._ Jeffries stood up, resolved to do better. The crisis mode Jeffries sometimes wore as head teacher now flared to life. Whatever the looming obstacles Maddy and her unusual condition presented, Jeffries was determined—they would not stop him from helping her. She was his responsibility. The welfare of his students mattered more than anything to him, that was just who he was. There was a reason Jeffries didn't have much of a personal life. His work and seeing his students succeed fulfilled him like nothing else. Usually it was seeing his students succeed in schoolwork that gave Jeffries that high, but also as they reached important milestones in life in general.

This certainly wasn't like any milestone Jeffries could have fathomed. Nowhere would he find an educator's handbook entitled _How to Help a Part-Wolf, Part-Human Student Who Has Lost Her Parents_.

Jeffries shook his head. _Maybe I should be the first one to write such a book._ He grinned ruefully. _Of course, where would I publish it?_ Jeffries fretfully rubbed at his chin as a more hopeful thought trickled out.

 _Maybe Maddy's friends aren't nearby to help ease her pain, but there are others._ There were two others in particular that came to mind. With a determined heart Jeffries reached once again for his phone. Just then he heard a loud crash.

 **A/N - Hi Wolfblood fans :) There's a lot going on here and the next chapter will see the appearance of a few more of our favorite Wolfblood characters. Thank you so much for the great comments, they inspired me to get this chapter written and posted sooner than I expected. You all are so kind to me, thank you and keep the comments coming, I'll take them to heart :-)**


	3. The Breakthrough

**(Hey wolfblood fans, the original upload didn't format, so I just re-uploaded and it should look good now. Hope you enjoy this chapter!)**

 **Chapter 3 - The Breakthrough**

"Think about what your parents would want, Maddy, for you to be prudent and safe about this."

Maddy couldn't handle it. Jeffries' words tore the scab from the wound festering deep inside her heart. The grief came roaring free, and with it, Maddy's wolf. She fled from the living room. The wolf inside her thrashed and howled with rage no words could quell. _Mum and Dad are really gone, Mads. Forever._

Yet Maddy wasn't about to wolf out in Jeffries' house for a second time and just prove him right about how unstable she'd become. _No! You are not letting your wolf become the boss of you. Be strong, Mads. Be you, the whole you. You're more than just your instincts._ Maddy couldn't control the turmoil of her emotions, but the wolfblood girl could control her reactions to them. She devised a trick at the spur of the moment to keep the wolf at bay. The girl rushed into Jeffries' bathroom and immediately turned on the cold shower. Maddy suddenly leapt into the shower fully clothed, shivering as the freezing water soaked her face, her hair, her shoulders, her entire body. The shock of the water distracted her wolf like a surprise attack. It sent her instincts reeling as all of her body's efforts went toward combating the frigid waterfall pummeling her again and again and again.

Slowly her yellowed eyes returned to their vivid, chocolate brown. The black veins receded down her fingertips and wrists. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It didn't matter that the grief of losing her parents still lingered in her chest like an abscess; she wouldn't let it tear her apart. She wouldn't—because no matter what had happened, she was still Maddy Smith, a determined alpha female who still had a pack and a future that mattered. Much as it pained her to even consider it, Maddy knew if her parents were watching over her now, they would be yearning to see that same strength in her, for her to go on—to still be the same daughter and the same girl they had dearly loved.

There was just one problem. It started when Maddy realized that she'd snuffed out the wildness of her wolf, when she tried to take off her socks and strip out of her sopping clothes to take a proper shower. _Ugh. I smell like a skunk steeped in sewage._ Maybe not _that_ awful, but still. Yet just as the wolfblood girl tried to take off her socks, she slipped. She tried to grab hold of something, _anything._ Her arms flailed. She lunged over the side of the tub, grasping frantically at the shower curtains only to take them down with her as she toppled over with a crash, sprawled out on her back.

Jeffries burst in a few moments later, expecting to find Maddy wolfing out. He gasped. Instead, he saw a petite girl fully clothed and completely soaked, shivering on the floor. She'd hit her head hard on the sink's countertop, which left her disoriented and amplified her emotions of grief, as if the pain receptors had reawakened the teenage girl's primal anguish. Jeffries knelt beside Maddy, frantic with worry.

"Maddy, are you all right?" Jeffries felt awful for what he'd said, seeing the state Maddy was in. The wolfblood girl's haunted face erupted in tears as she abruptly sat up, clutching tightly to Jeffries as her body heaved with deep, bone-wrenching sobs. Jeffries consciously kept himself from stiffening, going completely still as Maddy clung to him like the last lifeline she had. Her grief had needed an outlet, she'd kept it locked away ever since her parents' deaths. She'd had to, to get to safety—to make it back to Stoneybridge. Now…now the traumatized girl could finally release it, and Jeffries, human though he was, head teacher though he might be, he was someone _safe_. Someone Maddy instinctually felt she could maybe even trust.

"Maddy, SHH. It's all going to be…" Jeffries managed to stop himself from completing the empty platitude. He wouldn't assure her everything would be 'all right' because, truth be told, the teacher didn't have the foggiest idea _what_ the future promised. He did know this; he cared about Maddy. A breakthrough came at that point. Like a shattered ice sculpture, Jeffries' concerns about propriety imploded, replaced by sheer empathy. Maddy was no longer even a student to him; she was just a person who needed his help.

"Maddy." He gently rubbed her soaking back, waiting for her wrenching sobs to slowly dissipate. What happened next made him go very still, partly in shock. He hadn't thought she would be ready…but that's when Maddy began to finally open up. Still sniffling between gulps of air and the slide of errant tears, Maddy told Jeffries what had happened to her parents. The words poured out like blood from a wound...except instead of killing Maddy, she felt as if, the more she let the wound bleed, the more the burden eased. Jeffries listened quietly, not judging and certainly not interrupting. He just let the girl tell it in her own way, in her own time, because after everything she'd been through, he knew how much courage it took for her to make herself so vulnerable to another human being, especially someone not part of her 'pack'.

The middle-aged teacher listened with somber understanding until Maddy finished. She eased back with a shudder, propping her back up against the cabinetry. Maddy brushed her wet hair away from her eyes until it clung to her head, plastered at odd angles. Her chestnut eyes looked at Jeffries as if his next breath, his next word, might destroy her. He didn't know what was transpiring in the girl's head just now, but Jeffries had a feeling that she was already second-guessing everything she had just revealed. He had to reassure her…but how?

Sometimes simple, quiet gestures made all the difference. Jeffries counted on it right now, he reached out his hand and helped Maddy to her feet. She wobbled, swaying as Jeffries caught her and held her upright.

"Let me get you a proper ice-pack." He gently tipped her face forward, grimaced as he saw the gash along the back of her head. "Correction, let's get that looked at and sorted first, _then_ we'll worry about the ice-pack." A few minutes later he had Maddy sitting in the comfy armchair in the living room, while he knelt at the foot of the chair and studied her face to make sure she hadn't suffered a concussion. Her eyes looked alert, which sent a rush of relief through him. Jeffries slowly rose up. He had purposefully not said a word about what Maddy had shared with him. He wouldn't, not for a while yet, not when what he needed to do right now was simply show Maddy that she could fully trust him.

Maddy stared at Jeffries. A small upward tug of her lips made Jeffries quirk his eyebrows.

"Did I do something funny?"

Maddy shrugged. She was thinking of the flabbergasted look on the head teacher's face when he'd burst into the bathroom. "No, S—"

"Tim," Jeffries corrected. "Or just Jeffries. Please, Maddy. If you 'Sir' me one more time I'm going to give you detention." He smiled, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Maddy sighed as if in surrender. "Jeffries…" she tasted the name on her tongue, didn't seem to mind the sound after all. The wolfblood girl still held the ice pack to her head, readjusted it as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"There's not a thing for you to be sorry about," Jeffries said firmly but calmly. Jeffries folded his arms across his chest and gave a look of confidence that had _head teacher_ written all over it. "Now, here's what we are going to do. You are going to take a proper bath. Meanwhile I will cook us up some dinner. That pitiful bowl of cereal you ate can't possibly be enough." He rubbed his chin and frowned, trying to remember what, if anything edible, he had that could be thrown together into a concoction that might resemble a proper meal.

"Jeffries," Maddy ventured quietly, her eyes downcast. She seemed shy and embarrassed all of a sudden. Jeffries waited patiently though, sensing that the breakthrough for her to really trust him might rest on moments just like this one.

"Maddy…"

"I don't deserve your kindness. You hardly know me. I mean, I lied to you, hid what I was from you and all the teachers and students. You can't possibly really want me here. You can't—"

Where anyone else would have hugged Maddy or reassured her with touch, Jeffries didn't. He couldn't, it just wasn't who he was, the prim and proper man who felt queasy with physical touch nine times out of ten. Yet the way Jeffries stood there, his patient, empathetic gaze just silently insisted to Maddy— _Nothing you say is going to change it, I'm here for you._ Would seeing Maddy through this require him to be part-teacher, part-parent, part-friend to Maddy? Jeffries wasn't sure which of those roles might fit, how they would affect their relationship. He obviously couldn't be a father to her and he definitely didn't want to fill Rhydian's role of the boy her age—which would have been downright creepy even if he'd wanted to. He just knew that Maddy was a girl put in an awful situation and the core of his being flared to life, angry and passionate that she'd been thrust into this position. His heart sparked with emotion and he cared, damn it, and he wouldn't sit idly by. Where that left the two of them, he didn't really know.

 _This is uncharted territory_ Jeffries thought ruefully. But wasn't that the very thing that made it all the more compelling?

 _You've grown complacent here, Tim. You've made your cozy little niche here in Stoneybridge, at Bradlington High. You've made no real lasting connections, just burying yourself in your work. You do well by your students and teachers, but have you actually accepted a real challenge lately? Have you done something that really and truly made a difference in someone's life?_ Maybe Maddy stumbling upon him like this had been a thing meant-to-be. That was the thought that needled at Jeffries as he looked into Maddy's uncertain face. Resolve and tenderness dovetailed, the set of Jeffries' jaw revealing the one even as the softness in his eyes spoke of the other.

"It's just," Maddy tried to finish, "it's not possible that you want me here. I'm a terrible burden, I know that. I know that and I—"

"Madeline Smith," Jeffries said, his voice ringing with conviction, "you are one of the smartest pupils I have ever had the privilege to teach, but that is the stupidest thing you have ever said." Jeffries pointed at the entryway as his voice lashed like a whip. "If a ravenous beast came through that door coming straight for you, it would have to come through me first. Do I make myself clear?" The resounding power of Jeffries' intent dripped from every syllable he spoke.

Maddy nodded dumbly, her clouded expression clearing like fog scattered by wind and sunlight. She looked at him a little in awe. _That_ was one outburst she had never expected to hear. To have an adult who wasn't one of your own parents or blood kin admit that he or she would put their life down to protect you…. A tear pricked in each of her eyes. Neither came from sadness, but she wiped them away just the same.

Jeffries began bustling about the kitchen, pretending away the emotional moment before discomfort could settle in. He much preferred pottering around the yard to cooking, but both had their uses. Besides, it felt good to be useful. Jeffries soon had an omelet with diced onions, peppers, and bacon bits sizzling on the skillet. It was still breakfast food, but at least the meal had some balance to it. Jeffries heard Maddy get up and head towards the bathroom. He heard her feet scuff against the floor, then pause.

"Jeffries."

The middle-aged history teacher turned as the smell of eggs wafted through the room like invisible comfort.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." It wasn't just the two simple words, it was also the warmth and gratitude in Maddy's eyes which hit Jeffries hard. To Jeffries it felt like he'd just discovered every student in his classes had aced their exams. He nodded, his face a carefully neutral mask. It was best not to let someone know how much effect they had on you, if you could help it.

As the wolfblood girl was about to leave the living room, Jeffries stopped Maddy with a frantic clearing of his throat.

"Wait, Maddy. I forgot to mention something. Tomorrow you'll be coming with me to the office. I need someone to help me file paperwork and answer the phones. We're short-staffed with the lengthy half-term and I expect an extra volunteer of your industrious ability should fill the gap nicely."

Maddy opened her mouth to protest, but Jeffries barreled right ahead before she could sneak in half a word. "Oh, and you'll want to save some energy for the afternoon. Katrina will be picking you up to take you shopping at half past one."

Maddy's face contorted in outrage. "What?!"

Jeffries waved and pointed the spatula at her like a wagging finger. "And I don't want to hear any complaints. You know as well as I do, the selection of clothes Bernadette helped me buy for you is two steps beyond atrocious. It won't do."

Maddy's hands balled up into fists. "Then why won't you give me the money and let me go by myself to buy new clothes?" she said, a groan obscuring her words.

"Because," Jeffries began to concede…. _Because I don't trust you to be by yourself in public. Not yet._ Instead Jeffries said, "Because I said so."

"That's not an answer," Maddy called angrily over her shoulder as she stomped off to the bath.

Jeffries shook his head. If the girl cared enough to be angry with him, that was a good sign.

 **Elsewhere in Stoneybridge…**

 _Three wolfbloods in human form sniffed around the perimeter of the old Smith family home. The tallest one was female, her blonde hair looking like platinum threads in the moonlight. She glanced at Damian as Kyle rounded the other side of the house._

 _"_ _The signs aren't fresh. They're faded," Kyle growled. "We're wasting our time."_

 _Damian forced open the front door, his eyes gleaming hopefully. "Don't be so sure. Just because the scent's faded doesn't mean there aren't clues inside." The alpha female nodded, giving Kyle an irritated look. "Go help your brother. I'll stand watch here, in case someone comes."_

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood friends, I hope this chapter tantalized as I intended :-) This story explores some ground not often covered in the other wolfblood fics I've read, and that's on purpose. I wanted to see, what would happen if Maddy had to really, desperately trust someone well outside her pack? How much courage would it take, what challenges would it create for her? Plus, Jeffries to me always seemed like a character not fully explored on the show. Rhydian and the gang will come into the story, but not just yet. Soon we'll also find out a little more about those 3 mysterious wolfbloods and exactly who or what they might be searching for….**

 **And: thank you all for the very kind comments! Each one is like a big hug or a cup of hot chocolate, so again, thanks :)**


	4. Help Just Out of Reach

**A/N - Hey Wolfblood fans. Sorry about the last chapter's formatting issues, they've all been fixed, so yay. To make up for my mistake I've decided to get the next chapter out in record time, so here it is. Please enjoy - Any comments would be amazing and a huge help :)**

 **Chapter 4 - Help Just Out of Reach**

The crackling of the campfire reminded Rhydian of a gurgling baby for some reason. _Clearly you haven't been getting enough sleep, mate_. He shook his head. He scratched at his arms, wishing he could think of something to lift him out of his doldrums. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the trip so far. He'd loved it. He knew he would as soon as Michelle said it was okay for Shan, Tom, and Jana to come along—

"Rhydian?" Jana came and eased herself onto the log beside him, joining him as they both stared into the flames. It may have been well into spring, but the nights were still cold.

"Hey." Rhydian didn't bother to hide the wistful tone.

"You're missing her, aren't you?" Jana guessed. _Maddy._ He saw that cute face, those rich brown eyes giving him a saucy look as she frowned—yes, because even her _frowns_ made her look adorable.

"Guilty as charged," Rhydian grinned. He adjusted his rain coat. The fine rainy mist that had started to drift down wasn't enough to put out the fire. Tom and Shan had gone to set aside some firewood with Mrs. Vaughn and the boys before it all got soaked.

Jana slipped her hand along Rhydian's, just the gesture of a friend, nothing more.

"I know it's hard. And please, if this makes it worse, tell me and I'll shut up straightaway."

"Okay…?"

"I don't know how to say this in a way that doesn't sound weird."

Rhydian arched an eyebrow and elbowed her with a smirk. "Enough with all the build-up, stop torturing me and spit it out."

Jana's forehead knit together. "Rhydian…I can't help it. I sense that Maddy's closer."

Rhydian sat straight up, his entire body transforming into something ready to explode into motion, like a taut string.

"Jana, what are you talking about?"

Jana shrugged, giving Rhydian this apologetic look. "My wild wolfblood senses are more sensitive than yours, right? Wherever Maddy is, she's still part of our pack. Maybe that's why I can sense her. I don't think she's in Canada anymore, Rhydian. I think she might be closer."

Rhydian wanted to shake some answers out of her, his eyes so intent it would have unsettled a normal person. Jana just took a deep breath.

"Closer? How _much_ closer?" he demanded.

Jana drew a strand of hair behind her ear, concentrating. She closed her eyes. Rhydian drummed his fingers impatiently on the log.

"That's not helping, you know." He stopped.

This was what killed him. _How can Jana sense her but I can't? I'm the one who loves her. I'm her mate_ said his wolf, snarling inside of him. Maybe Jana did have the more acute senses, but Rhydian felt that his connection to Maddy was so deep, their bond so strong he _should have_ been able to sense her. If the universe had any sense of justice, he should have been able to reach out with eolas and touch her mind, her thoughts. His heart ached a little, wondering if Jana was right. Had Maddy possibly even come back to the UK? Part of him was ready to leap up and sprint out of the campsite this very instant.

Except he couldn't. Mrs. Vaughn was already watching him like a hawk ever since she'd seen how hard he had taken Maddy's sudden departure. Taking them on this camping trip was actually part of Mrs. Vaughn's grand strategy to help Rhydian "get over" Maddy—her exact words. He knew she was only trying to do what was "best" for him, but she didn't really know what that was. He did. His wolf did. And in every possible future, what was best for him included the girl who had stolen his heart, the headstrong girl who had started to lock it away from the moment she'd said those five ridiculous words.

 _You smell like my parents._

A goofy smile broke across Rhydian's face at the memory, remembering exactly the look of shock on Maddy's pretty face as the brunette had gaped at him on that first day he'd come to school.

He had promised he would find her again, and he would. He elbowed Jana again, his eyes fierce. "What do you mean you can 'sense her'? Jana, tell me everything." If Jana had an extra wild wolfblood sense, maybe he could teach it to her? _If my mum could teach me to use eolas, maybe Jana can teach me how to sense other members of the pack?_

Jana's hands squirmed in her lap. "Rhydian, it's not that simple. It's not some innate shared wolfblood ability like eolas. I can't just teach you what I can hardly put into words myself. As far as I know, I'm one of the very few who can do this."

The wolfblood boy turned his body to scrutinize her head-on, his stare unwavering. "Well, why don't you at least _try_. Humor me, for Maddy's sake."

Jana nodded, looking nervous, and Rhydian wondered why. Was she just worried that she'd get his hopes up only to bring them crashing down? Or did she not want to give up her secrets? Or was it something else? Rhydian took Jana's hands, squeezing them with a comforting grip.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being kind of a jerk here. It's just…"

"I know, Rhydian. I just told you that the girl you love might be close," Jana smirked. "I get it. I get the sense of urgency. It's just—don't make fun of me, okay?"

Now Rhydian blanched, all befuddled. "Sorry? Why would I make fun of you for having a really cool wolfblood ability I don't have? One that might help me find Mads."

Jana sighed. "Because, Rhydian, when I try to describe it to you, it's going to sound ridiculous. I just don't know how else to say it."

"Okay, point taken. I'll take your disclaimer under advisement. Now start talking."

With a hopeful glance, Jana began, "I call it the arogl."

"The _arogl_?"

Jana nodded quickly. "I didn't come up with the name for it. I didn't give it one until I met your mum. When I told your mum about it, she said she'd heard of wolfbloods having a special sense even when their pack was far away, something more potent than eolas. She said that her pack myth-teller had a word for it. The Arogl. It means _smell_ in Welsh."

Rhydian shimmied closer to Jana on the log, his face showing all the eagerness of a young boy itching to climb up a mountain. "So teach me more about this 'Arogl'."

"Well, it's as the name implies." Jana lifted her fingertips to right underneath Rhydian's nose. He smelled her distinctive scent, it said 'friend' and 'safe' and 'pack' deep inside his wolf.

"You smell me, yes? Each of us has one, just like people. Each of us with one unique scent. Humans have a fingerprint, and this is like a fingerprint for wolves. Our human selves think of touch as a dominant way to sense, but if you're a wolfblood grown up in the wild your other senses are hyper-developed, even for a wolfblood. To a human touch is usually much stronger than smell. Not to a wolfblood, _especially_ a wild wolfblood. For us scent is every bit as strong, as vivid to our wolf."

Rhydian's eyes narrowed. "Yes…so are you saying you can smell Maddy? Even from dozens of miles, a hundred miles away?"

Jana chuckled. "See, I knew you would be skeptical." Jana pulled her hands back with a sigh. "It's true though. It's like…" Jana's face screwed up with effort. "You know how if you go out early in the morning, you can smell the moisture in the air, the dew on the grass? That's what this is. It's like I smell Maddy, a faint trace of her in the air."

Now Rhydian bolted to his feet, his eyes blazing. "So she has to be fairly close."

Jana quickly stood up and took Rhydian by the hands before he could do anything rash. "Close is a relative word, Rhydian. She's 'close' as in somewhere in the British Isles, I think. That's still beyond range of safely using eolas. We can't just go running all over England calling her name."

Rhydian grimaced at her, not liking her tone. He wasn't a child, of course he knew that.

Jana tried to calm him by giving him a hug. "Look, Rhydian. We'll try using eolas early in the morning." That was usually the best time, when the sun had just risen. "Maybe we'll see something." When she pulled back only to see his frown deepen, she rushed out, "And even if it doesn't change anything, I'll try to more consciously use the arogl. Even something slight, like a change in wind direction, it might make a difference. I'll keep monitoring it, Rhydian. If anything changes, I'll tell you straightaway. In the meantime, we'll practice every morning before the others wake up. I'll show you how to be more aware of your senses. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to teach you."

A fierce hope danced behind Rhydian's eyes before he hugged her back.

"Thank you, Jana. You know how much this means to me."

Jana had left out one important thing, though, fear gnawing at her heart. She didn't just sense Maddy. She sensed that Maddy was in trouble….


	5. Wolves Closing In

**Chapter 5 - Wolves Closing In**

The slant of sunlight cast long shadows on the deserted courtyard of Bradlington High. A petite brown-haired girl stood with her back to a brick wall while three taller figures approached from different angles. Maddy stood her ground, but it wasn't easy.

 _You can't run your way out of this, Mads. Too close and too many of them._ It was a bad sign when wolfbloods trespassed on your territory and felt bold enough to corner you in broad daylight. Of course it was just Maddy in Stoneybridge, her parents dead, her pack still gone. One lone wolf―easy pickings.

Maddy's primal desire to _live_ polished every single sense to razor-sharpness as she glared at the three wolfbloods hemming her in. The one in the center had dark eyes and wild hair which reminded her of a crow's feathers. The hostile tint to his face dashed any hopes, so Maddy decided she would take him out first. There was a blonde wolfblood girl to her right and a tall male wolfblood flanking to her left. No gaps big enough to escape through.

 _Three against one? I don't have a chance, but I bet I can take two of them down with me._

Maddy smiled grimly. _And to think, today had started off almost perfectly._ All the other teachers had gone home except one. If she screamed, maybe Jeffries might hear…but what could he do except watch her die?

 **Earlier That Day in Stoneybridge…**

Jeffries turned over the scrambled eggs for the last time. Soon he deftly slid them onto a pair of plates, set them on the kitchen table. Where was Maddy? The girl was never late. She knew better than that.

"Sorry I'm late," Maddy called out as she burst through the door. Jeffries sighed. The girl was covered with sweat, still in her magenta tennis T-shirt and black athletic skirt.

"Maddy Smith, you are more than just late. You are about to make _me_ late, and you know how I prize punctuality. It is the essence of productivity and I will not have you backsliding into ugly habits. Is that understood?"

Maddy tried to hide her grin. It had been nearly 3 weeks since the fateful evening she'd landed on Jeffries' doorstep and wolfed out in the middle of his living room. And what surprised her more than anything was how she'd been able to establish a comforting routine. It didn't mean she didn't miss her parents, or that she didn't miss Rhydian, Jana, and her pack. But with two days to go until the end of half-term, she found herself calmly looking forward to seeing the boy she loved and the friends she couldn't wait to hug the life out of―all of it in large part thanks to this middle-aged head teacher who acted cross and hard on the outside, but who, as Maddy peeled back the layers, proved to be soft as a marshmallow behind his prickly exterior.

"Go on, then. Get showered and dressed. You'll have to eat your breakfast on the way."

"Jeffries, I beat Gavin in straight sets this morning," Maddy gushed, completely ignoring the irritable wrinkle of Jeffries' nose. Gavin was Jeffries' next-door neighbor, an 18-year-old who had taken a year off before going to uni. Every other day he and Maddy played a full match of tennis at the nearest park. This had been Jeffries' compromise with Maddy. _"I won't have you running around in the woods like a wild wolf. If you need an outlet for that wolfblood energy, you'll have to find a socially acceptable human method to satisfy it, and one which is NOT solitary._

The wolfblood girl still didn't think Jeffries fully trusted her not to wolf out, but it had been nearly 3 weeks. Maddy could sense how Jeffries trusted her now in a way he hadn't before.

Maddy turned to run towards her room, gather up her things to shower. Something stopped her. A feeling that had been growing, bit by bit, since the day Jeffries had taken her in. Maybe it was the adrenaline talking, with her wolf sleepily content in the aftermath of her tennis match victory. Or maybe it was just that the time seemed right, the newly risen sun winking with approval through the window. Whatever it was, Maddy found the courage she didn't know she had.

"Tim?"

Jeffries froze with a forkful of scrambled eggs halfway to his mouth. He set down the fork. Maddy never called Jeffries by his first name. Ever.

The wolfblood girl's hazel eyes roved around the room uncertainly before she met his stare with a deep breath. "There's something I need to ask you."

Jeffries stubbed his toe on the nearest table leg as he rushed to stand up to ask her what was wrong. Next he stifled a fresh shout of pain. Jeffries clutched at his leg just above where his knee had clipped the sharp edge of the second-nearest table leg too. "UHH!" Jeffries tried to recover an air of dignity as Maddy stifled a laugh―till her face resumed a very somber, serious expression that had Jeffries' radar on full alert.

"Maddy, if this is to ask me again about going into the woods to 'let out your wolf' the answer is still no. It's still too soon."

Maddy took a few steps towards him, her fingers clasped together nervously. "No. That's not it." She looked up at him with an expression Jeffries couldn't quite pinpoint.

"It's not that kind of request. It's a much tougher request," she said. Her eyes were searching his face very intently now, as if he had a puzzle written on his forehead. "Since I've come to stay with you, you've been nothing but kind to me. You helped give me a safe place when I felt lost." Maddy sighed. "Even making me hang out with Katrina every day after I volunteer at the school has been actually…well, a really good thing."

Jeffries smiled. "See, it's just as I said, Maddy. Katrina is a better person than you gave her credit for. When she's not around her two partners in crime, her better nature exerts itself. You see it now. That's very good. I'm proud of you."

"She does say some really stupid things though," Maddy reminded Jeffries with a smirk. "She still wants me to help her with a new 'photolio'."

"Don't be petty, Maddy. Everyone has their quirks."

"Ever since you told her I suffer from random panic attacks…" Maddy trailed off with a shudder.

"What have I told you about not ending a sentence properly?" Jeffries looked at her, exasperated. "I had to tell Katrina something so that if you felt on the verge of 'wolfing out' again you would have an excuse to get away from her. Panic attacks was the easiest explanation."

"That's just it. Katrina now asks if I need any help with my 'panic axe'." Maddy rolled her eyes. "You see what I have to put up with?" _Stop stalling. Stop mouthing off. Say what you need to say._

Jeffries folded his arms in his patented way which announced _you're wasting my time_. "All right, Maddy. Enough chatter. You've already ensured that we will be late to school this morning. Tell me, young lady, what request is so difficult and important that it couldn't wait?"

Maddy felt a tear glisten in her eye. She blinked it away, but Jeffries had already seen it. The brown-eyed girl stared down at the kitchen tiles.

"The reason I called you Tim just now is because…" God, this was so awkward even though her feelings were firm on this. _This is what you want, Mads. Have the courage to just lay it out there!_ She almost felt as if her mum stood there right beside her, urging her on. She looked up into Jeffries' face as new tears glistened in her eyes. She would blink those away too, damn it. She wasn't going to cry as she asked him the question. She wouldn't.

"I was hoping that maybe…maybe I could stay with you beyond the half-term."

Jeffries went very still. He opened his mouth, clamped it shut again without a word. As if he was coaxing out a baby deer from the woods, Jeffries just waited for Maddy to continue.

Maddy twisted her hands, her fingers laced together, and gave Jeffries the second-most vulnerable look he'd ever seen on the girl's face.

"Maybe I could stay with you until I graduate? I…"

"Is this what you really want, Maddy?"

The teenage girl nodded, shy all of a sudden as she tentatively glanced up and kept her head down.

"I need to hear you say it."

"Yes Sir." Uh-oh, she'd done it again…used the outlawed 'Sir'.

Jeffries frowned, but the frown didn't have any bite to it. A neutral look took over as he rubbed the stubble of his beard.

"Jeffries…" It still felt more natural for Maddy to say 'Jeffries' than Tim. "Look, I know you probably never wanted kids, so having a teenager around all the time might sound just awful and―" The indignation on Jeffries' face quickly had the wolfblood girl backtracking. "I mean, maybe you did want kids at one time, I don't know."

"Maddy Smith, have you ever heard the phrase 'Quit while you're ahead'?"

"Um. Yes?"

"Well, it applies to this very moment. And my answer is yes."

"Yes to what?" She blinked in confusion.

"Yes, you can stay here until you graduate. I'll fill out the paperwork with Social Services and apply to be your guardian. On three conditions."

Maddy didn't even bother to wait to hear Jeffries' conditions. She was surprised by the force of her own happiness at hearing his answer. The truth was, the rustic bungalow had begun to feel like home. The last thing Maddy wanted was to live in her parents' house where every memory would remind her of loved ones lost. She needed a fresh start, and this was it. Jeffries was like a stout pillar, something steady she could rely on. He was that prickly uncle with a heart of gold. That's how Maddy had come to see him during the past few weeks. It wasn't a huge span of time to base a decision, but a wolfblood like Maddy could detect a person's character, living under their roof day by day. She felt she knew Jeffries as a real person now―not just the stern, proper head teacher's mask he wore in front of everyone else…. She knew who he was, strengths, weaknesses, all those human foibles that made Mr. Jeffries, well, Mr. Jeffries.

What happened next played out like an action scene. Jeffries' eyes got huge as Maddy leaped across the kitchen, squeezed the head teacher with a hug that had more force than an alligator's jaws. Then she strained up on her tiptoes, giving him a peck on the cheek before rushing towards her room.

"And I expect those conditions to be met!" Jeffries called after her. Of course now he couldn't quite remember―what conditions had he intended to say anyway?

 **Bradlington High, Back to the Present…**

Maddy shrugged out of her jacket. A breeze rippled along her skin, trailing goose bumps up and down her arms as she flexed her muscles. _Get ready to draw first blood, Mads._ The three wolfbloods converged on her.

"Ohhh look, the little runt thinks she can take us," said the mangy dark-haired boy in the middle. _I'll wipe that arrogant sneer right off his face._ The blonde wolfblood girl shoved Dark-hair aside with a snarl.

"Know your place, Kyle." Maddy's heartbeat skipped. _So_ _she's the alpha? I need to go after her._ Blondie's body tensed and Maddy flowed into a defensive stance, ready to give her wolf free rein and meet the enemy head-on, alpha to alpha.

There was a second of confusion as the taller wolfblood on Maddy's right stepped in front of the blonde alpha.

"Your name is Maddy Smith, right? I'm Damian." Why was he bothering to introduce himself? Why didn't he have the same hostile look as the other two? Maddy paused in her crouch, gauging whether the dissension among the enemy wolfbloods was enough to give her an opening.

It happened right then—entwined scents hit her like a blast of life-giving air. Maddy's heart sang as she saw two sleek shapes speed from the wood's edge behind the football field, two furry specks which rapidly grew into larger, fearsome predators. Rhydian's sandy coat and Jana's scarlet fur confirmed what Maddy already knew. Her pack had come.

 **A/N - Hi there, my wolfblood sisters and brothers, hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you thought please :-)**

 **Next up we'll actually find out, what do those three strange wolfbloods want from Maddy? What makes Damian different from the other two? What exactly happened to Maddy's parents? Plus of course - Rhydian, Maddy, and Jana reunited. Maddian, full speed ahead! :) A kind word or comment would make my day, so please drop me a word or three (or more, if you want to). You guys keep me going, couldn't do this without the fun feedback and support.**


	6. Confrontation

**Chapter 6 - Confrontation and Confusion**

The scene of the courtyard at Bradlington High threatened to unravel into chaos with Maddy backed up against a wall as three wolfbloods closed in, but she was no longer afraid. Her pack was coming just when she needed them most.

"Even with your two friends coming to help, we're bigger than you _and_ stronger," the dark-haired wolfblood half-gloated, half-growled.

Right then the blonde alpha shoved between the two male wolfbloods as Jana and Rhydian sped towards them like a pair of bullets. "Don't waste our time, little cub, just tell us where we can find Daniel Smith," the blonde snarled, glaring at her, and something inside Maddy just snapped. Who did these wolfbloods think they were, ambushing her, terrorizing her and demanding an answer?

The kinder-looking wolfblood, Damian, had meanwhile mustered up the gall to shout at his own alpha. "Steph, stop it! Can't you see we're scaring her?"

"I'm not scared and I'm _not_ telling any of you a bloody thing!" Maddy roared, transforming just as she hurled her last word. Maddy's wolf sprang like a nasty surprise. She rammed into the blonde alpha, drilling her in the chest before the other girl could even transform. A tawny-furred Maddy felt sheer satisfaction as she knocked the wind out of the enemy alpha, trampling Steph before she leapt clear and whirled about to defend against any attacks. She was just in time because Kyle had transformed too, snapping at her heels. Maddy backed away, bared her fangs and rumbled a growl that carried surprising force coming from such a young she-wolf. Kyle still dwarfed Maddy, though, and he seemed to like his chances judging from the malice in his lupine grin. Just as he prepared to launch a feint to get by Maddy's defenses—that's when the unthinkable happened.

Maddy flinched as she felt a funnel of air slide past. A certain huge, dark-brown wolf jumped clear over her to land right on the dark-haired wolf's back. _Damian?_ There was a bloodcurdling cry of pain as Damian sank his fangs into Kyle's shoulder, twisting him halfway about as Kyle's keening intensified. The pitiful mewl wrenched at Maddy's instincts even though the sound came from a wolfblood she had absolutely no sympathy for. It left her stunned.

Steph had recovered from Maddy's wallop. Now she shifted into her wolf. She let out an angry howl of betrayal, glared at Damian…and fled. Kyle hobbled after her, limping as he frantically tried to catch up. Damian's big, chocolate-brown wolf stood his ground, his grey-blue eyes huge and mesmerizing as they met Maddy's stare.

 _You would betray your own pack to help me?_ Maddy's mind reeled as Rhydian and Jana came onto the scene. They quickly flanked Damian as their ferocious growls matched two displays of deadly teeth. Damian may have acted differently than his pack-mates, but he was still an outsider here. Not knowing what in the world was going on, Rhydian and Jana weren't taking any chances; they would regard him as _foe_ rather than friend until proven otherwise.

Maddy felt her heart pounding like a witchdoctor with a drum, blood thundering in her veins as her lungs felt likely to burst. That fight-or-flight urge had spread beneath her skin, making it so she'd never felt so alive or—oddly enough—like she might perish any second. She slowly calmed her wolf, then the rest of her…until her form slowly morphed back into a slender teenage girl.

"Guys, lay off of him." Maddy spoke with her alpha's authority. Like a new aura blanketing everything about them, her words changed Rhydian and Jana's stances immediately. Both wolfbloods slowly backed away, heads bowed as they changed—becoming human for now.

Eyeing them with distrust sparking from his wolf, Damian had a harder time changing. He managed it only by keeping his gaze fixed on Maddy. When he finally returned to his human self, Maddy just kept staring at him, at this tall, lanky boy who happened to make one mean, obnoxiously large wolf when the situation called for it.

"Damian, tell us some answers and we'll let you go," Maddy said gruffly.

Damian looked at Maddy with this odd longing. It irritated the wolfblood girl almost as much as it intrigued her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because," Damian began, his voice filled with emotion, "Because I'm your brother."

The world spun on its axis. Maddy forgot to breathe. She searched his face for the slightest trace of a lie. Nothing. Her heartbeat reached drum-pounding levels all over again. Her eyes strayed to Rhydian's for support. He looked at Maddy, Jana did too. Rhydian broke the awkward silence first.

"Mads, are you all right?"

She was far, far from all right. _You can't get any farther from 'all right' than I am right now_. Maddy found it almost too hard to speak, but she forced out the words, pinning Damian with a fierce glare despite the confusion bottled up inside of her, at the same time frantic to break free of it and throttle an answer or two out of this wolfblood she didn't even know…who was _apparently_ her brother.

"No. You don't get to just throw this at me. Not after what you and your pack just did, cornering me and trying to intimidate me!"

"That was Stephanie and Kyle. It wasn't me!" Damian protested. "Look, I'm just trying…I was just trying to find my real dad, and they agreed to help me. I'm actually…I'm your _half_ -brother, Maddy. We share the same dad." Maddy felt her knees go weak as Damian rushed on. "I know this is an insane thing to just unload on you, and I'm sorry. You said you wanted answers though. I'm just trying to give you what you want."

Maddy shook her head, her eyes wild. "No…I remember how you smelled. The scents of the other two! Dad had a trace of all three of you on him when he came to us and said we had to leave!"

Maddy felt the rush of tragic memories swirl around her head like a hurricane. They'd been visiting Pacific Rim Park Reserve in eastern Canada, dad had gone off to get food. He'd sprinted back, saying they had to leave because of three hostile wolfbloods.

He'd driven preoccupied, rushing along the highway, not all there, as if something had bitten into his skull and wouldn't let go. Maddy remembered it with aching, heart-wrenching clarity—the second the semi-truck swerved violently into their lane—the impact as the truck plowed their car over and into the ravine, the jarring crash and deafening scream of scraping steel, so much crumpling metal—sharply folding metal that crunched bones, even wolfblood bones—the last moment she remembered her parents alive. She remembered waking up, ironically thrown clear of it all thanks to her forgetfulness in putting on her seatbelt. Scrapes, bruises, otherwise being miraculously whole. She'd found herself deep in a ravine shaded by massive trees, far from the road, among a twisted mass of wreckage that lay so well hidden it might be years or decades before anyone found it….

 _And it all traces back to Damian and his pack confronting my dad. They spooked Dad, Dad made us flee, and that explains why he was so distracted right before the accident! If he'd had his wolfblood senses alert and aware, Dad could have avoided the truck._ Maddy still believed that.

Maddy rubbed a hand down her face, trying to focus as Jana and Rhydian started asking questions. It was all way, way too much.

"I know there isn't time to easily explain this," Damian said, "what happened with your dad…it was confusing. He didn't know my mom was pregnant when they broke apart. He didn't know I existed. When we confronted him in Canada he didn't believe me at first, and then my pack didn't respond well to his reaction. Kyle lost it and…" Damian was struggling to explain it all away, as if this was just one big misunderstanding that could be papered over. Maddy saw red, a scream roaring in her head.

"You don't get it," she suddenly shouted. "My dad, _our_ dad—he's dead. My mum too! We were driving to get away from your pack, Dad was too preoccupied when a truck swerved into our lane…" Maddy could feel her pulse racing. Her heart pounded until it was practically leaping out of her chest.

"So this is your fault, _brother._ My family is torn apart because of you and your pack," Maddy said, but what started out as a resounding accusation just ended on a quiet whisper. Putting the pieces together was too much for Maddy, her emotions overwhelmed and she just didn't know _what_ to feel. Deep down she wondered whether she was being fair to Damian, but the wounds were too fresh for her to think through it. She saw Damian and his scent reminded her of that fateful day. Damian's _scent_ reminded her of the weeks she had spent walking through the Canadian wilderness in a daze, her wolf foraging and barely keeping her alive. The journey back to Stoneybridge had been epic…but at least she'd thought she could leave the worst behind her, including the horrific memories which she at least had hopes would slowly fade.

Now this…having those memories brought back to her by this wolfblood boy. It was the one thing she had never counted on happening. It tipped her over the edge.

Damian's face had crumpled when he heard those words, _My dad, our dad—he's dead._ The wolfblood boy slowly lurched forward as if to comfort her.

"Maddy, I'm so sorry…I—"

"Get the hell away from me!" Maddy roared. Damian turned and fled, running as if the wind itself had possessed him. Then Maddy was sobbing, Jana and Rhydian rushing to her side. The pain shot through her like needles lancing every single vein in her body. The enormity of her loss finally hit home. She realized that the memories, the pain she'd thought she had started to leave behind during the past few weeks, it had just lain dormant right beneath the surface. So the wolfblood girl did the only thing she could do. She leaned on the people she loved, on her pack.

"I'm right here, Mads. I'm right here," Rhydian said, hugging her tighter and tighter as she balled her eyes out. Jana rubbed her back, she and Rhydian exchanging a worried look over Maddy's shoulder.

When the two wolfbloods looked at each other over Maddy's grief-stricken form, it was like an unspoken wolfblood telepathy flowed between them. Even subtle changes of expression between Jana and Rhydian said a lot, they had grown so close since Maddy's departure to Canada.

Rhydian's eyes spoke first. _What are we going to do?_

Jana's expression answered back. _Pick up the pieces the best we can._

Rhydian shout-whispered at Jana so that Maddy wouldn't hear in the midst of her crying. "Go follow Damian and see if you can bring him back. We have to come up with a plan."

Jana bit her lip. Three outsider wolfbloods running around Stoneybridge was a recipe for disaster. Jana muttered, "I'll see what I can do, and once I find him, maybe I can find out why his two pack-mates seem to have it out for Maddy. There was something more going on here than just the three of them looking for Maddy's dad."

Rhydian nodded as Maddy buried her face against his neck, sobbing even harder. "You're onto something, Jana. If Damian had his alpha's blessing then why was she so hostile to Maddy? Same with the other pack-mate. They'd clearly agreed to help Damian find Maddy's dad…but then one of them attacked Mr. Smith when they found him in Canada."

Jana swiped a hand across her forehead, eyebrows scrunched in thought. "It's almost like…like their wolves are against their humans. It's like gwrthdaro."

Rhydian cocked his head at a funny angle. "What are you on about?"

"It's the name my old pack had for it. When a wolfblood's _wolf_ and its _human_ fundamentally disagree about something really important, it can make a wolfblood unstable. _Gwrthdaro_. That might be what we were seeing with Damian's pack-mates."

Rhydian sighed, rubbing gentle circles against Maddy's back as she took deep, sob-wracked breaths. "Well, whatever's causing them to be so unstable, we better figure out the root of it, and fast. Hurry, before Damian gets too far away to easily track. Go!"

Jana shot off like a red-headed lightning bolt. Rhydian pulled Maddy against him. She was crying so hard against his chest that the boy was starting to wonder how she could even breathe. He stroked her hair, filling her ears with soothing whispers. "I'm here, Mads. I love you and I'm not leaving you," he said gently, picking her up as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She clung to him as he walked inside—and almost collided right into Mr. Jeffries.

"What in God's name is—?" Jeffries clamped his mouth shut when he saw Maddy's tear-streaked face, her eyes as desolate as an apocalyptic world. He wordlessly rushed back to the darkroom. He opened the door so that Rhydian could carry her in and lay her on the couch. With a shudder, Maddy's eyes fluttered. She mumbled words Rhydian could barely make out.

"You're not going…to be a jerk…and leave me here?" She tried bravely for a smile. It was more a quivering of the lips, but Rhydian would gladly take it. He knelt beside her, stroking her hair again and loving the way her eyes sparked with hope the longer he held her gaze.

"This is a jerk-free zone, Mads. I'll be on my best behavior, promise. Why don't you close your eyes and rest a while? You've had a…rough day." Understatement of the century.

Jeffries hovered in the background, clearly on the verge of demanding answers. But Rhydian shot him a warning look. Jeffries bit his tongue and left, closing the door quietly behind him. Then it was just Maddy and Rhydian. Rhydian shifted onto the couch length-wise, and Maddy fit perfectly between his legs as he let her use his broad chest like a pillow. She leaned back, and he let her sag against his body. He could feel her exhaustion as her raspy breaths slowly evened out—sleep ready to swoop in. Soon there was just the soft cadence of her breathing, the rhythm of her heart and his heart beating like two sides of a mythical coin, filling the darkroom with their own serene music. She needed this, Rhydian knew that. She needed a calm after the storm. He was still in shock from the news. He could hardly imagine it…let alone _believe_ it.

 _Maddy's parents…dead?_ He had never doubted he would find a way to reunite with the girl he loved, but not like this. He hadn't envisioned a situation like this, not in a trillion years. And the question that poked and prodded him even now was this: what were they going to do about Damian? If he really was Maddy's half-brother, then…. Rhydian knew Maddy too well. When she had recovered from the anger and hurt, she would want him to be a part of her life, wouldn't she? But would Damian's pack allow that? Given how hostile they'd been, from what little Rhydian had seen, he had his doubts. He needed to go to his mum and dad for help.

Distracting Rhydian from the turmoil of his thoughts, he felt the slender wolfblood girl relax against him, glanced down at her cute, finally serene-looking face as she mumbled his name.

" _Rhydian…_ " It wasn't much, but it was a start, and for now it would have to do. Rhydian gently stroked Maddy's silky strands of hair, deepening the trance of sleep for her until all the pain leaked away, replaced by the dreamless rest he knew his girlfriend desperately needed.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans! As you can probably tell, things are picking up speed. Poor Maddy has a lot to deal with, but she has her pack now at least, and Rhydian has a plan to help her heal. Please comment, let me know what you thought. Short or sweet or longer comments, I'll take them. After all, it's readers and writers on this site who inspire me every day. Till next time :)**


	7. Crisis

**Chapter 7 - Crisis**

Rhydian and Jana paced on opposite sides of the living room in Jeffries' bungalow.

"Rhydian. Jana. _Sit down_ before you wear ruts in the carpeting." The two wolfbloods settled on the couch together with a collective sigh.

Jeffries let out a sigh of his own. It had been just yesterday that three wolfblood intruders had ambushed Maddy at Bradlington High. It had also been a mere day since Rhydian and Jana discovered that not only were Maddy's parents dead, but _Mr. Jeffries_ of all people now knew about wolfbloods and had agreed to let Maddy stay with him.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Rhydian said.

"Don't be." Jeffries poured three cups of tea, handed two of them to Jana and Rhydian. "Drink."

Rhydian's hands trembled as he took a sip. He set it back down on the nearby saucer. "Sir, my parents aren't usually this late. I can't imagine what's keeping—"

"Hey everyone! The cavalry has arrived," Tom's voice boomed. Shan bustled in right behind him through the unlocked front door, running a hand through her ginger hair as she rolled her eyes.

"Where's Maddy?" Shan said, her eyes suddenly taking on a frantic sheen.

"She's in her bedroom. Asleep," Rhydian piped up. "She's wiped."

Shan cringed. "Tell me about it. Today was awful. First day back from half-term, Mads having to start over without her parents…and it really showed. She walked around in a daze all day long. I'm worried sick. Maybe I should go check on her?"

"Mads just needs to rest, Shan. And _you_ need to _chillax_ ," Tom said. "She'll get there. Trust me. Mads is seriously stronger than you think." Tom flopped on the other side of Rhydian, hands in pockets as he tried not to fidget or show that he was just as worried as Shan.

They had every reason to be, too. Although Maddy had been doing reasonably well during those first few weeks back in Stoneybridge, Damian and his pack had triggered a major relapse ever since the ambush. No, the more Rhydian thought about it, it wasn't so much a relapse as this inevitable collision with reality, Maddy's denial finally torn away. In the crisis of just trying to survive after the accident in Canada, the wolfblood girl hadn't had time to mourn all that she had lost. Trying to just stay alive, to avoid detection from humans and get back to someplace she felt safe—it had consumed Maddy's every waking moment until she'd finally struggled back to Stoneybridge, depleted and desperate on Jeffries' doorstep.

So in reality Maddy's wolf had never really mourned; now, thrust with living reminders of the circumstances that led to her parents' death in the form of Damian and his pack-mates, Maddy's wolf had finally found the excuse it needed to acknowledge the deep, deep wounds of grief and loss.

Of course it was hard for Rhydian to see Maddy like this, but at the same time he was a little bit encouraged. She _needed_ to mourn everything she'd lost. It was part of the process that had to play itself out before she could heal, Rhydian fully believed it. Maddy had loved her parents so much, and they had loved her. Rhydian had once told Mads, _"I'd give my canines to have parents like yours,"_ and he had meant every word of it.

Ripped from his thoughts, Rhydian bolted upright. He sniffed the air. _They're here. Good. About bloody time._ Ceri and Gerwyn burst into the house like flames roaring from a campfire.

"What's going on? You should have contacted us sooner, Rhydian!" Outspoken and Ceri just went hand in hand like butter and toast. Rhydian grimaced as his mum came over and crushed him in the most embarrassing embrace right in front of Shan, Tom, Jana, and even Mr. Jeffries.

"Mum…let go of me! Can we please focus?" Ceri stiffened right then, staring at Mr. Jeffries.

"Why is _he_ here?"

Jeffries stood taller, his eyebrows arching in amusement. "You mean besides the fact that I _live_ here?" He ticked off on the fingers of his right hand. "One, Maddy is my responsibility. I've applied to be her guardian. Two, now that I know about wolfbloods it's also my responsibility to see that no one gets hurt—and that includes not just my students but also anyone, for that matter." Jeffries' eyes narrowed as Ceri looked about to interrupt him. "And _three_ , I may not be a wolfblood, but Maddy came to me and asked for my help, and I made a promise to her. I keep my promises." Jeffries' steely gaze dared Ceri to say otherwise.

Like the strong wolfblood she was, though, Ceri didn't back down from a fight.

"You're exactly right. You're _not_ a wolfblood and that's what this crisis calls for." Jana shifted uneasily on the couch. She hadn't been able to track down Damian or his pack-mates, which meant there were probably three aggressive wolfbloods on the loose somewhere around Stoneybridge.

Ceri's husband Gerwyn tried to slip in a few words, but all he got for his trouble was a jab from Ceri as she continued. "Well-intentioned or not, you're no wolfblood and that's exactly what Maddy needs right now. Adult wolfbloods surrounding her, giving her a sense of direction as part of a pack. It's no wonder the cub is consumed by her grief. She needs a pack supporting her!"

"Mom, that's not completely fair," Rhydian growled, turning on her. "She _has_ a pack." Rhydian indicated himself, Jana, Shan and Tom. "We're her pack and we'll look after her." When he saw the hurt look on his mum's face he rushed on. "Yes, I want you here with us and I think Maddy will need your guidance too, but don't just bulldoze your way in here and act like you have all the answers. You don't. None of us do." Rhydian uneasily glanced from Jeffries back to his parents, then back to Jeffries. "We need to focus less on our differences, human, wolfblood, or otherwise, and focus _more_ on how we can work together to fix this."

Within minutes Rhydian was spreading out a map of Stoneybridge and the surrounding villages across the dining room tabletop. Ceri and Gerwyn sat at one end, studying the places where Rhydian and Jana pointed out they had already checked for signs. Shan and Tom stood in the background with Jeffries, eagerly taking in whatever information they could.

"The problem is that there's a lot of open land to cover," Jana explained. "But that's just it, we can't limit our search to even that. If Damian, Stephanie, and Kyle were wild wolfbloods, that would at least allow us to limit the scope of the search. To limit it to places with livestock, places a wild wolf would prefer to feed or hunt." Jana let out a frustrated huff. "But they're like us," she said, pointedly ignoring Ceri's dangerous glare. "They're comfortable enough in the human world. For all we know they could be staying at one of the B&Bs in Foxmoor or Brookswine." Those were two of the villages within a short drive of Stoneybridge. "We can't patrol an area this large. We need something to narrow down the possibilities."

Ceri nodded, her eyes keenly taking in the map like a mathematician making calculations on a chalkboard.

"That's where we come in." Ceri exchanged a look with Gerwyn, who answered her reluctant plea with a broad grin.

"Ah. I _see_. I bet you're glad I have so many drinking buddies at the local pubs _now_ , eh darling?"

When Ceri scowled, Gerwyn happily elaborated. "I have drinking buddies from every corner of the county, more than a few wolfbloods among them. I'll get a description of our renegade wolfbloods to my friends, should help multiply our eyes and ears."

Rhydian nodded hopefully. It was a start. Then an idea turned his hope into something even more tangible.

"We've been going about this all wrong." He took a hurried sip of his tea, wetting his parched throat. "All this time we've just been searching based on generic criteria about where we think these wolfbloods might want to be. But we haven't looked at it from the angle of Damian and his pack-mates specifically, the exact motives that brought them here to Stoneybridge."

Jeffries let out an 'ah' of understanding.

"Go on," Ceri said impatiently.

"If we assume that they came here to make contact with Maddy's dad, or Maddy's family in general, then we have to assume that if they _are_ sticking around Stoneybridge, they'll only do so if they plan to re-initiate contact with Mads—especially if Damian decides he wants to have some kind of connection with a half-sibling he never knew he had." Rhydian gathered steam as the reasoning played out. "If we take that into our reckoning, then maybe we don't have to track them. Maybe we can have _them_ come to us."

Jeffries nodded, pointing to several places on the map. "If Rhydian's wrong, then the wolfbloods will probably go back to their home territory, and the point is moot. If he's _right_ , then these places are the spots we need to have a strong presence." Jeffries had just pointed to places frequented by Maddy and her friends.

Rhydian met Jeffries' gaze. "Exactly, Sir. If we patrol these areas we'll be more likely to find them. We might even be able to lure them if we use some of Maddy's clothing, anything which strongly holds some of Maddy's scent." Ceri and Gerwyn offered some ideas on how they could go about doing just that, and from there all the earlier animosity between Ceri and Jeffries quickly flew into the dustbin. After another hour of discussion, the unlikely band of humans and wolfbloods broke up, satisfied that they had crafted a reasonably good plan.

Sooner or later they wound find the troublesome wolfbloods and—in the case of Damian's pack-mates—send them packing. As for Damian…that part was murkier. Rhydian was still fairly certain that Maddy would want Damian in her life. They were brother and sister after all—that's how Maddy would see it, no 'half' about it, even if Damian technically had a different mom. That was just who Maddy was. Acceptance was in her nature. Sooner or later, as she recovered from the rawness of her grief, Maddy would be left with so many questions. How had Damian's mum and Maddy's dad first met? Did she have any other half-siblings out there? Where was the rest of Damian's pack? There were dozens of questions swirling about in Rhydian's mind that he knew she would want answers to, as soon as her wolf had recovered from the worst of her grief.

Jeffries pulled Rhydian from his thoughts. "All right. Well then, everyone. Some of us have school to teach in the morning," Jeffries said to everyone suggestively, rubbing his hands together gleefully at the thought of emptying out his bungalow to enjoy a return to peace and quietude. "I'll wish you all a good night. Shannon, Tom, I expect you to be ready for exams tomorrow. Don't think I'll grade any more leniently because of the current…situation. Is that clear?"

"Depressingly so, Sir," Tom said as he put on his shoes. Shan bumped Tom and gave Jeffries a charming smile.

"What he means to say, Sir, is that we are well-prepared. You don't need to worry about us!" she said like the goody two-shoes student Shan usually was.

After everyone else had left, Rhydian lingered. "Sir, I won't get a wink of sleep if I don't check on her before I go home. May I?"

Jeffries gave Rhydian an exasperated stare for a few moments, finally relenting. "If you must, Rhydian." He turned to go to his study, then stopped, swiveled back towards the boy. "Am I correct in assuming that you and Maddy are…?"

With an uncomfortable cough Rhydian nodded. "Yes, Sir. We're dating, Sir."

Jeffries rubbed at the stubble on his chin with extra force. "Good. So in that case, since Maddy is currently living under my roof, you understand that any…funny business is strictly prohibited. Do I need to clarify that for you?"

Rhydian shook his head at record speed. "No, Sir. I think that's very, very clear." With a placated nod from Jeffries, the wolfblood boy walked down the long hallway and quietly knocked on Maddy's door.

"Mads, are you awake? Can I come in?"

"No!" said a peevish voice from the other side.

Rhydian opened the door. Maddy sat on the bed in a gray T-shirt and black joggers, her hair mussed from her earlier nap. She brushed a few hair strands out of her eyes as Rhydian watched her cute face morph into a grumpy pout. "Why did'ya even ask to come in if you were just going to ignore my answer?" she said.

Rhydian slipped onto the bed beside her, trying to lace his fingers with hers. She tugged her hand away before he could.

"I heard a little of what you were talking about with the others. Plotting without me," she huffed. "You should have woken me." Rhydian gently slid the back of his hand down her cheek, soothing her with his touch.

"You needed your rest, Mads. I know you don't want to sit this one out, but right now you need to focus on _you_. Let us worry about the wolfbloods."

Maddy's hazel eyes shimmered as tears gathered. "What about Damian? I said those horrible things to him before he ran away. I shouldn't have…shouldn't have pushed him away like that. No matter what's happened, Rhydian, he's still my brother. My half-brother. I still want to know more about him. I should at least give him a chance."

Rhydian cozied up next to his girlfriend on the bed, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as he kissed the top of her head. "And you will, Mads. We'll find him, I promise you. We just need to be careful. Jana has a theory about why Damian's two pack-mates were so aggressive around you. We think they may be unstable for reasons I won't get into at the moment…but until we know more, you're not to try looking for Damian. Okay?"

Maddy nodded, but Rhydian didn't notice the way her eyes shifted away at the last second. Later, after Rhydian had left, Maddy quietly slipped out of bed, dressed, and packed up her rucksack with clothes and a bit of cash.

 _I'll find you, Damian._ She wouldn't let the tragedy of what had happened to her parents stand between them. She wouldn't. After everything that had happened, family to Maddy was now more precious than ever. She wanted to trust Rhydian and the others, but what if they waited too long? What if Damian's alpha, Steph, and his pack-brother Kyle forced him to return back home with them? Then she might never see him again.

Maybe what she was about do was a little reckless, but Maddy felt she had no other choice. Smoothly, like a wolfblood ninja, Maddy laced up her boots, slid her rucksack over her shoulder, unlatched the window, and snuck out into the moonlit night.

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood sisters and brothers, hope you liked this chapter and having more characters brought into the mix. Jeffries and Ceri aren't done knocking heads. Poor Jeffries is going to be tested. As for Maddy, she's headed for a bit of trouble - but then again, that's Maddy for you, isn't it? Some more twists and turns coming right up. Please leave a comment, a review, or a friendly suggestion and I can tell you, it will really make my day :) And of course thanks to everyone who has left comments. Each one makes writing the next chapter that much easier.**


	8. Caught Red-handed

**Chapter 8 - Caught Red-handed**

Rhydian felt uneasy after checking on Maddy that night. He knew she didn't like how the group was leaving her out of the loop, and partly he understood her frustration—especially given Maddy's alpha nature. When an alpha wolf was in mourning, though, sometimes they became less assertive. Rhydian was actually hoping that Maddy would be affected by it, become a little less headstrong just until they got this whole mess sorted out…which was the exact opposite of how he usually felt about her. _Usually_ he loved how Mads challenged him, surprised him, or kept him on his toes and just wouldn't back down.

 _Until Mads is back to her normal self, I'll be supportive in whatever ways I can. I'll convince her that she doesn't have to do this on her own. She needs to trust us._ Concerns and reassurances ebbed and flowed in Rhydian's head as he walked down the hallway, gathered his things together and prepared to leave out Mr. Jeffries' front door.

Before the wolfblood boy could even put his fingers around the door handle, Jeffries was right behind him. Rhydian almost shouted in surprise. Jeffries put a finger to his lips. The history teacher had his shoes on and a light jacket to keep out the evening chill. Rhydian gave him a questioning look, but all Jeffries would do was flick his eyes towards the door.

 _This is odd. Has Jeffries lost his mind?_ Befuddled, Rhydian let Jeffries lead him out the front door, around the side of the bungalow and behind a screen of thick mulberry bushes. Jeffries crouched, Rhydian beside him. The wolfblood boy threw a thousand puzzled looks the head teacher's way. Jeffries just put a finger back to his lips, then flicked his eyes towards the guest bedroom window.

Maddy's window.

Now Rhydian began to understand what the head teacher was so concerned about. Did he really think Mads would try to sneak out and look for Damian and his pack-mates? Rhydian had just had a really good talk with her and calmed her down. This was completely unnecessary….

They crouched like that for what seemed an hour, until Rhydian was quite sure that the agonized look on Jeffries' face showed that the head teacher wasn't used to crouching hidden in the night, tensing up muscles the older man probably hadn't used in _years_. Every time Rhydian ventured to say a word, Jeffries shushed him with a hard look.

 _We're wasting our time, Mr. Jeffries! I spoke with Maddy, she's calmed down. There's no need to—_

Rhydian gaped, his train of thought derailing before it shattered into a million pieces. He heard Maddy's window latch un-hook, watched a slender girl dressed all in black slip through the opening with a rucksack over her shoulder.

Jeffries rushed around the side of the bush and Rhydian followed, shock and anger vying for his attention as his heart thudded loudly in his ears.

"Maddy Smith," Jeffries cried. "Just _what_ do you think you're doing, young lady?" Maddy froze like a fawn in headlights. She scowled, but Jeffries wasn't about to be intimidated.

"I was just going out for a walk," she said defensively.

"With a full rucksack? Dressed in hiking gear?" Jeffries said, disapproval and disappointment overcoming the amusement in his voice. He walked up to her with an outstretched hand. "Give me the rucksack, Maddy." The teenage girl handed it over with a pained look, anger and defeat flashing across her face.

"I have a right to see my own brother. You can't keep me here."

"That's exactly what I can and _will_ do, Maddy Smith, for your own well-being" Jeffries said, tone every bit as commanding as a furious alpha. "I'm very disappointed in you." Maddy's face crumpled at that, and she looked away. "Perhaps I was mistaken. Perhaps I should call Ceri and have you stay with her and Gerwyn until this trouble gets resolved, have them keep a close eye on you," Jeffries mused.

"No. Please don't," Maddy said abruptly, the words flying out of her mouth before she realized she'd said them. She looked at the dirt between her boots, shame coloring her cheeks.

"Sir, can I talk to her alone for a moment?" Rhydian said.

Jeffries rubbed the side of his face thoughtfully. "Go ahead, Rhydian. Don't be too long though." He began walking back around towards the front of the bungalow, but he turned back to the wolfbloods at the last moment. "Maddy, I expect to see you inside shortly. Once you're done speaking with Rhydian, you and I are going to have a long chat." Maddy's shoulders sagged at Jeffries' promise, and she looked away as tears leaked from her eyes.

Once Jeffries had left, Maddy let out some venom. "I have every right to go looking for my kin," she ground out stubbornly, her lower lip quivering as she held back from unleashing all her frustration. Seeing her so distraught, Rhydian didn't have the heart to stay angry with her.

Rhydian walked up to her. "Jeffries is right, Maddy. You'll see Damian again, I promise, but you need to trust us to handle this."

"Trust you? Who can I rely on, besides myself? The world can take everything from you, at any time. It took _you_ away from me when I had to flee to Canada. It took my parents away from me...for good! So what should I trust, Rhydian? What _is_ _there_ to trust?!" Maddy was in tears now, the moonlight making her face glisten. She choked back a sob as Rhydian came closer.

He knew this wasn't how Maddy really felt. This was her grief talking. Rather than argue with the actual words she'd said, Rhydian knew what he had to do. _I just need to overcome her insecure feelings and the fears behind them._ Keeping this idea at the forefront, Rhydian reached out, gently rubbing Maddy's shoulders. She looked up at him.

"You should have supported me. Instead you're just as bad as they are. Keeping me locked out of the planning. Keeping me from helping out! You need to let me do something, I'm not an invalid just because I lost Mum and Dad. I'm not—"

He distracted her with a kiss along the side of her jaw, then he trailed more kisses along her neck as he continued to rub her shoulders. She gasped as he cupped the nape of her neck, gently pressing his forehead to hers.

"Mads, please. If you want to help, I'll convince the others to let you help. Don't do this again. Promise me you won't try to take matters into your own hands." She closed her eyes, the last of her tears spilling down her cheeks. Rhydian reached a finger underneath her chin, forcing the girl to look at him. "Mads, I love you more than life itself," Rhydian grinned, "and I know that may sound like a heaping pile of clichéd idiocy, but it's true. I know you have no reason to trust in anything after all that's happened to you, but if you trust nothing else, please, please, Maddy, trust _this_." Rhydian put his hand over his heart as Maddy reluctantly looked at him, her eyes still filled with pain…but now also a spark of something bright and warm.

Rhydian saw the opening and he took it. "Do you remember that time you got so obsessed with using eolas and took us on a merry chase all the way to Newcastle?" A small smile tugged at Maddy's lips as she nodded. "Well, after you'd jumped onto that moving truck and lost us, do you know how I found you?" Rhydian put a hand over his heart. "I just sensed you, Mads. I'm not sure how I did it, but even with the power lines nearby preventing me from using eolas, I could still _sense_ you, and I helped your parents find you even though we had no idea where you were. That's the power of what I feel for you, Maddy Smith. Love isn't powerless, Mads. It can accomplish things even when you feel completely helpless. I know how you feel right now, believe me. I was an orphan once, with no family and no one to look out for me. But that's not you, Maddy. You have people who love you, care about you and will fight for you. And I'm one of them and I'm asking you—please, _trust me_."

"Oh, Rhydian." Her face transformed with emotion, her affection for him palpable as he saw it as his green light. Rhydian leaned forward, capturing her lips, his hand tightening on the nape of her neck as he slid his tongue into her mouth, making her moan as she returned the kiss with the same fervor. She ran her fingers greedily through his hair as he enveloped her in his arms. They stood there against the side of the bungalow, Rhydian pressing Maddy against the wall as he just kept kissing her, exploring her, as if he could drive away her insecurities with sheer passion and tenderness. For a while, he did—they did, together. And Rhydian realized, as he finally pulled away from their eons-long kiss, his hands cupping her beautiful face and looking into those rich brown eyes—he'd had his own insecurities too. He needed to see Maddy for Maddy and not see this Maddy as a 'broken Maddy' and a 'normal Maddy' as something to strive for. The two were indistinguishable. Despite all the pain and suffering Maddy had endured in the past few weeks, she was still the girl he had fallen in love with. He didn't need to change her, he just needed to be there for her. And that gave him tremendous hope.

He took her hands in his. "Consider that your punishment from me," he teased. When Maddy replied with a shy smile he leaned over for one more long, lazy kiss, the taste of strawberries lingering on his tongue even as the scent of Maddy scrambled his senses. He couldn't get enough of her smell. The feel of her warm body pressed against him also made all rational thought struggle to become even remotely relevant. _God, I love this girl. I really do. She'll be the death of me, but I'll still love her, and never regret it…not even for a moment._

A loud throat-clearing sound made both teenagers stiffen. Rhydian pulled away.

"It seems you two have a different definition of 'not long' than I do," Jeffries observed dryly. "I was getting impatient. Rhydian, I believe the Vaughns will be wondering where you are. Maddy, come inside." As Maddy looked at the grim set to Jeffries' face, the disapproval in his eyes threatening like twin hurricanes, she gave Rhydian a look that said _Please save me!_

But Rhydian glanced at Jeffries, then back at his girlfriend, before giving her hand a final, comforting squeeze.

"Sorry, Mads. You're on your own. See you at school tomorrow."

Maddy turned back to the head teacher with a sigh. Would Jeffries really make her go live with Rhydian's parents? Whatever punishment Jeffries had in mind, she was pretty sure that it was going to be less pleasant than kissing her boyfriend. Maddy tried to distract herself with the lingering memory of their kiss as Jeffries held open the front door and ushered her inside.

She had to give Jeffries credit. Ever since learning about wolfbloods, he'd become a lot less clueless. Still, she did hope. _Maybe I can still talk my way out of this…._

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood fans, hope you liked getting some long overdue Maddian in that chapter! Next up, we'll learn more about Damian's pack. Please let me know what you thought, suggestions, or even predictions :)**


	9. Most Awkward Dinner Ever

**A/N - Hey Wolfblood people. I love you guys, and I can't thank you enough for all the kind encouragement. I have a special request for this chapter - please review! I am at my record high for most reviews for any of my stories, and the next ones will put me over. So a kind word or suggestion would be extra special this time around and a fun milestone since I've only been writing on this site since May. I also took several reader suggestions to heart about Maddy getting to know Rhydian's parents. I hope you enjoy this because it was a lot of fun to write…**

 **Chapter 9 - Most Awkward Dinner Ever**

 ** _Somewhere Above English Soil…_**

 _"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Flecks of silver in the woman's hair gave the lie to the ageless appearance of her face. She grimaced as the plane readjusted for the final descent into Heathrow Airport. Two muscular, impeccably dressed wolfbloods hovered nearby, their postures stiff as they waited patiently like well-trained dogs._

 _"Make no mistake—there will be consequences for this." Then her voice softened, even with her fear and anger swirling together. "Wait until I get there, Damian. Do you hear me? That's my order, as your alpha. Tell me you understand and that you will follow my commands to the letter."_

 _"But—she's in danger. I think…I'm almost sure Steph and Kyle are going to try to kill her!" The pack members on the plane sprang to full alertness the second they overheard Damian's words._

 _"It will be all right. I'll be there soon. Foolish boy. It looks like it will be my job, not just as your alpha but also as your mother, to pick up the pieces—just like always. Now tell me more about this troublesome girl that attacked Stephanie, this—"_

 _"She didn't attack her, Mom. She was scared and Steph and Kyle were being way too aggressive in her territory. She was just defending—"_

 _"Enough!" Elizabeth Heartwick, alpha of what was_ left _of the Charlottesville, Virginia wolfblood pack, scolded her son until she was nearly hoarse, then turned off her phone and mused thoughtfully. Disaster though this had proved to be, it also provided something else. An opportunity._

 ** _Back in Stoneybridge, at Jeffries' Bungalow…_**

Rhydian had gone home, abandoning Maddy to her fate. _Some boyfriend HE IS_ Maddy thought grumpily. Maddy was sitting at the kitchen table right across from Jeffries. The light shining above her head made her feel like she was sitting down for an interrogation instead of the 'chat' Jeffries had promised. The feel of Rhydian's lips on hers still provided a welcome distraction. It was certainly better to savor the memory than anticipate Jeffries' punishment.

Jeffries wore his collared shirt underneath a sweater that had 'geek' and 'history teacher' practically stitched into every thread. His eyebrows scrunched ominously like cumulonimbus clouds that matched his stormy face.

"Well, Maddy. What do you have to say for yourself?" But Maddy didn't hear Jeffries. She was thinking back to Rhydian's words, his declaration of love and their passionate kiss. And as she thought about it, she realized, all horrified, that _he_ had declared his love for _her_ but _she_ hadn't told him how much she cared for _him_ , not in so many words. She hadn't told him that she loved him, not since they were separated months and months ago when she fled to Canada. Thinking about it just now, Maddy felt awful. _He needs to know how I feel. Exactly how I feel._

Maddy abruptly whipped out her phone, and frantically started bopping buttons.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" Jeffries said. Nodding towards her phone, the head teacher muttered, "This interruption better be important, Maddy Smith, as in…life or death."

"It is," Maddy reassured him without even thinking. Finally she hit 'send'. Once the text got through, Maddy sighed with satisfaction. Her satisfaction changed to horror as Jeffries reached out his hand.

"Give me the phone, Maddy."

Maddy instinctively brought the phone to her chest. "Why?"

Jeffries' look soured even more. "After attempting to sneak out in the middle of the night, Maddy Smith, you are NOT in a position to be demanding answers. Is that clear? Now hand me the phone."

Reluctantly the girl did as he asked. When Jeffries powered it on to look under 'sent texts', Maddy stiffened.

"Hey! That's private!"

"You forfeited some of your privacy rights—"

"—the second I tried to sneak out of the house. I know," Maddy finished Jeffries' sentence with a note of agony. "But please, Jeffries. It's…" She blushed furiously as Jeffries read the text aloud.

" _Rhydian, you said you loved me more than life itself. I love you just as much. Thank you for helping me see things in a different way. You took my black-and-white world and gave it color. For that I'm so, so grateful. I wish my parents were here to see what a good boyfriend you are. To see what a good person you are. I'm lucky that you're in my life. I love you too._ "

Maddy felt the blush deepen all the way to the roots of her hair. She wanted to crawl into a hole and never, ever peek out. She stared at the tabletop as if the grains of wood were endlessly fascinating. Slowly she felt Jeffries reach out, patting her hand.

When she looked up, Jeffries' severe expression had gentled. He handed her back her phone. "Maddy, I want to apologize."

"Excuse me?" This wasn't the Jeffries she knew, the infallible head teacher he projected whenever others were watching. Lately he'd been letting her slip underneath his armor more and more.

Jeffries sighed. Rubbing his hands together, he glanced away before returning to meet Maddy's stunned stare. "I should not have said what I said, about sending you off to Rhydian's parents. You know that I will never back down from any difficulty, Maddy. That is not who I am." Jeffries smiled sheepishly. "And I'm fairly certain that if I can survive the shock of a lifetime, which you gave me by appearing as a wolf in my own living room, we can get through this too—together. Yes?"

Maddy nodded hopefully, and Jeffries brightened. "Good. Now…from the looks of your recent text, it seems like you and Rhydian had a good 'conversation.'" The way Jeffries said 'conversation', it was very clear that he felt more kissing than talking had gone on, and Mads felt her cheeks redden all over again.

"Please can we move on to another topic? Just tell me my punishment," she whined.

Jeffries chuckled, then sobered up. "First I want your solemn promise you won't try anything like this again."

Maddy gaped at him. "Are you and Rhydian teaming up on me or something? He said almost the exact same thing, word for word. I'll promise you what I promised him. I won't take matters into my own hands again, all right? I swear."

Jeffries nodded with satisfaction. "I'm glad to hear it. I'll have to remember that Rhydian has more good sense than I thought," he said with a wry grin. "Now…are you ready to hear your punishment?"

Maddy threw Jeffries the most exasperated glare.

"Even though I won't send you to stay with Ceri and Gerwyn, I think Ceri was partly right. You _do_ need more of an adult wolfblood presence in your life…especially after everything that's happened." Maddy opened her mouth to protest, but Jeffries bulldozed right through her. "So, with that goal in mind, I called Ceri while you were outside chatting with Rhydian. Tomorrow night you will have dinner with Rhydian's family. It will do you good to get to know his parents better, and they you. You'll go there straightaway with Rhydian after school. I'll pick you up to take you home at 9pm."

Maddy frowned. "Jeffries…Ceri doesn't even like me. I'm the 'tame cub' not worthy of her son. This is a horrible idea." Jeffries shot her a look.

"Really, Maddy, for someone as clever as you are, sometimes you can be incredibly out of touch." Jeffries patted Maddy's hand again, coaxing her with an encouraging look. "Ceri has changed a lot in the past year. She's not the same wolfblood you fought toe-to-toe with in the woods trying to protect Tom and Shannon." When Maddy's eyes widened at Jeffries' reference, he nodded. "Yes, Rhydian and Jana have brought me up to speed on a number of things, Maddy. I know about your history with Ceri."

"Then you know…" Maddy began.

"Nonsense. As I said, Ceri has changed, just as most people do when confronted with new experiences." Jeffries gestured towards Maddy's phone. "If you won't do it gladly, then do it for Rhydian. You say that you love him. Well, in a very real way a person's family is part of who that person is. Ceri and Gerwyn are part of who Rhydian is. If you want to truly love Rhydian, then you are going to have to make peace with Rhydian's parents—sooner rather than later, don't you think?"

"I hate it when you're right," Maddy muttered.

Jeffries cupped a hand over his ear. "What's that, Maddy Smith? I couldn't quite hear you," he joked. Maddy smiled, but a swarm of butterflies whirled in her chest. _Dinner with Rhydian's parents?_ Why did the very thought terrify her? _Maybe it won't be so bad._ She was more curious than afraid to get to know Rhydian's dad. She knew almost nothing about him. And as for Ceri…well, what if she _had_ changed? With a deep breath, Maddy resolved to put her best foot forward. _You can do this, Mads. You can make this work._

Maddy tried to mentally prepare herself for what she was 100% sure would be the most awkward dinner ever….

 **A/N Part 2 - Sorry everyone, I hated to stop it there, just wanted to keep the chapter concise. Next chapter will explore Gerwyn and Ceri in detail and how they react to Maddy's need for a new adult/parent figure in her life. As some of you have rightly pointed out, Jeffries despite all his good intentions can't do it all. I always felt from the show that Gerwyn was in some ways the perfect counterweight to Ceri. Whereas Ceri can be too prickly and serious, Gerwyn's more carefree approach to life is almost a needed antidote. How might Gerwyn be just the humorous antidote that Maddy needs in her life right now, given all the tragedy she's suffered? That's what I'm hoping to explore in the next chapter :)**

 **So yes, next up we'll have that long-awaited awkward dinner before Damian's pack returns to the fray…**


	10. Unexpected Arrivals, Part 1 of 2

**Chapter 10 - Unexpected Arrivals, Part 1 of 2**

Maddy checked the clock on the classroom wall for the 52nd time. _Five minutes until freedom._ Except it didn't quite feel like impending freedom. The butterflies behind her belly were stubborn creatures, fluttering about as she thought about having dinner with Rhydian's parents for the first time. Rhydian sat next to her at the desk, caressing Maddy with his eyes. The idiot had been doing that all day long—even flashing a ridiculous smile practically at random. Of course Maddy knew—none of it was random. Much of it had to do with a certain text Maddy had sent Rhydian last night.

Maddy glanced over at Rhydian to confirm her suspicion. _The fool can hardly keep his hands to himself._ The wolfblood girl grinned as Rhydian fidgeted at his desk. Mr. Jeffries was just finishing up a preview of the upcoming history exam.

The bell rang and Rhydian bolted upright, clutching Maddy's hand.

"Right. Time to go. You ready?" As their schoolmates filed out of the classroom between buzzes of conversation, Maddy nodded just when the three K's sauntered by.

Kay and Kara's eyes immediately went to Rhydian and Maddy holding hands and the teasing started immediately.

"OOHH! Rhydian's got a girlfriend. Rhydian's got a girlfriend! OW!" Two of the three K's jumped with matching yelps. Who or what had just smacked each of them in the butt?

Katrina graced Maddy with a smile. "Hi Mads. These two aren't bothering you, are they?" She trained a fierce glare at her two girlfriends, which could have come right out of _The Devil Wears Prada_. As glares went, it also could have melted metal. "Are you two done bothering Maddy and Rhydian, because if not, the next place I'll be smacking you has a lot less protective cushioning!"

Maddy and Rhydian burst out laughing as Kara and Kay hustled out with a disbelieving look at their friend. Katrina gave Maddy a wink as she followed them out.

Rhydian looked a bit shell-shocked. Maddy waved a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Rhydian…anyone home? You all right?"

The blonde boy blinked, then chuckled. "Yeah Mads, I guess. Has Katrina been possessed or replaced with a non-evil twin or something? She's acting so… _weird_."

Maddy shrugged, smiling as she remembered the time she'd spent with Katrina during half-term. "She's actually not so bad. While you and the rest of the pack were off on your camping trip, Kara and Kay were gone to Brighton too, so I spent some hanging out with her. I feel like she sees me differently now…and I'd say the same for her. It's all Jeffries' fault too—he made me go shopping with her." Maddy wrinkled her nose, then gave Rhydian a reluctant smirk. "It actually wasn't so bad."

Rhydian laughed as he gave her a look of 100% skepticism. "Sure, Mads. Whatever you say. I'd rather be put in front of a firing squad than have to go shopping with any one of the three K's. You can quote me on that."

Rhydian and Maddy soon waved to Jeffries, who had just finished helping out a few students with exam-related questions at the front.

"Don't forget, Maddy. I'll be by promptly to pick you up at 9pm," Jeffries called as they left. Then they hurried outside, cutting through Bradlington High's courtyard, walking towards Ceri and Gerwyn's house. They hadn't even left school grounds when Maddy sniffed, catching the unmistakable scent of wolfblood.

A scrawny man with a scratchy beard, doleful eyes and a shrewd face walked up to them, hands in pockets.

"Dad?" Rhydian said. Gerwyn's face broke out with a conspiratorial grin.

"Hey, son. Surprise! I'm here as escort. Just in case." He rolled his eyes. "Your mother's orders…though to be honest, I wanted to do it. I may look like a mangy mutt, but if Damian's pack tries anything reckless I'd rather be on hand…" He gave Maddy a bow and produced a blue flower seemingly out of thin air, which he offered to Maddy.

"For you, my dear."

Maddy smiled. "Thank you."

Rhydian groaned.

"Dad, this is embarrassing. Can't you just scout ahead or something?" They were still on school grounds and stares were starting to come their way. Rhydian loved his dad, but like any self-respecting teenager, he had no desire to have a parent within a ten-kilometer radius where his schoolmates might see. Plus, Gerwyn did have a mangy look and sometimes Rhydian felt a little self-conscious. Truth be told, the former orphan had never forgotten the way Jimi and his mates had teased his mom for looking homeless. He hadn't cared at all what those arses thought—but he did worry about what the teachers and the school staff might think. Rhydian's foster mum didn't know the truth about Gerwyn being Rhydian's real father either.

"We're having a hog roast that would make the Queen herself die of jealousy. So Maddy, I hope you're hungry," Gerwyn said, walking alongside. Maddy nodded shyly.

"Dad, I mean it. Scout ahead. You're making me look bad!" Jimi and some of the others had started to take notice of Gerwyn. Rhydian picked up the pace as Gerwyn nudged Maddy. A rainstorm brewed in the distance, typical English weather that promised a drizzle of rain but nothing too awful.

As a few stray droplets began to fall, Gerwyn spun around, spreading his arms as he sang, doing a passable Gene Kelly impression.

"I'm _singing_ in the rain, _singing_ in the rain…" Rhydian's face turned bright red as Gerwyn skipped a few lines. "I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above. The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love," Gerwyn finished, giving Maddy and Rhydian a meaningful glance.

"God, will you please go away!" Rhydian hissed desperately. As the red shade of Rhydian's face resembled a tomato more and more, Maddy couldn't help herself. She started to giggle.

"See, your girlfriend gets it. My real mission isn't to escort you. It's to embarrass the daylights out of you, Rhydian—like any good parent. Am I right, Maddy? Would you like to help me embarrass Rhydian? Come on, I'm sure he's teased and tormented you plenty of times. Now's your chance to get your revenge, and I'll help ya."

Rhydian glanced at Mads, whose eyes suddenly sparkled as a smile full of mischief appeared out of nowhere.

"Maddy, don't even think about—"

Maddy spun in a graceful circle, singing at the top of her lungs as Gerwyn resumed the song.

"I've a smile on my face. I walk down the lane with a happy refrain! Just singing, _singing_ in the rain!" Maddy belted out, and now over a dozen schoolmates were definitely looking their way. Rhydian's mortified face cried out for mercy as Gerwyn took Maddy's hand, spinning her around as they danced a little, starting in on another verse….

Before they had left school grounds, Maddy discovered the many hues of red Rhydian's blushing face was capable of, and it made her smile so much her face almost hurt. Once they were finally walking along one of the cobblestone side streets, Rhydian huffed at them both.

"That wasn't funny. You made me into a total laughingstock. You embarrassed yourselves too," Rhydian added.

"I don't think Maddy sees it that way," Gerwyn said, throwing her an easy grin which she returned.

Suddenly those butterflies in her stomach weren't so fluttery after all. Right then she decided that Rhydian's dad was pretty awesome.

"Gerwyn…" she ventured.

"Yes, Maddy?"

"Do you think we can gang up on Rhydian more often?"

Rhydian just about screamed in frustration as Gerwyn gave her a thumbs-up. "It would be my pleasure, dear girl. The boy has an ego as wide as Hadrian's Wall. With your help, who knows, maybe we can take him down a notch." Rhydian endured Gerwyn's endless riffs and Maddy's good-natured rejoinders as they walked on. If you asked Rhydian, Maddy and his dad were getting on a little _too well_. Maddy could tell it judging by the rising frustration on her boyfriend's face, so finally she relented, lacing their hands together and just walking quietly side by side.

Their route to Ceri and Gerwyn's place took them right by the Smiths' old house. As they started up the street, Maddy felt a pang of emotion. _Maybe I don't want to live there now…what with the memories of my parents still too fresh, with it hurting too much. I can't just leave it though…it wouldn't be right._ Letting it go to the weeds felt too much like letting the ugly side of life win out _._ Despite the tragedy of losing her parents, their house held so many cherished memories. She knew that there had to be a way to save it for the future. It had been in her family for generations. Surely she couldn't just abandon it? Maddy reminded herself to have a talk with Jeffries about it.

When the three of them walked by the unassuming, quaint stone-work of the old house, Maddy was surprised to see that someone had clearly been maintaining it. The lawn was perfectly cut, the weeds under wraps. Not a speck out of place. Maddy wondered… _Who's been taking care of it?_ She knew Jeffries didn't have the time as head teacher, no way. So who was it? She made a mental note to find out as they walked the rest of the way to Rhydian's parents' house, which was about a 30-minute jaunt outside of Stoneybridge. Then they saw it on the horizon, Ceri and Gerwyn's new place…

Maddy tried not to think of the resurging butterflies twisting up her guts. Had Ceri changed as much as Jeffries claimed? _Guess I'll find out._

 **A/N - Hi Wolfblood fans, I hope you liked the build-up towards the Big Dinner :) Yes, the next chapter is the long-awaited dinner... Ceri and Maddy will finally confront their past. In fact, the next chapter is going to get a little** **crazy** **. Maddy is about to be put to the ultimate test.**


	11. Unexpected Arrivals, Part 2 of 2

**Chapter 11 - Unexpected Arrivals, Part 2 of 2**

Ceri threw open the front door with a welcoming voice, her Welsh accent as pretty as she was in her royal blue gown. Maddy had never seen her dressed so formally, and it made her feel a little self-conscious in her school uniform.

"In you come! The roast is almost ready, everything else is all laid out and prepared." Maddy walked up the front steps and Ceri enveloped her in a big hug. "Maddy, I'm so glad you're here. I hope you brought your appetite."

"I…I did. Thank you," Maddy mumbled, a little overwhelmed by the display of affection. She sniffed and marveled at the buffet of scents which assaulted her wolfblood nose the moment she entered. _This is what heaven must smell like_ Maddy decided with a goofy grin as the long table of delicacies taunted her with two words and two words only—EAT ME, EAT ME. Maddy tried to pretend that the stomach grumbling loudly as soon as they all started towards the dining room wasn't _hers_. Rhydian nudged her with an encouraging smile that seemed to say, _See? My parents don't bite._

Maddy squeezed his hand as they sat down side by side. Maddy strained her neck, looking up and down the table. Five types of meat-spreads ranged out across the tablecloth and Ceri had reserved a prominent gap in the center just for the roast. The only non-meat item that could tempt Maddy or make her salivate was, of course, the dessert. Who could resist cheesecake topped with cinnamon-fried apples? _Yum._

Maddy stole a look at Rhydian, who appeared even more ravenous. Maddy's smile turned bittersweet. This reminded her of the first time they had eaten dinner to together…her parents throwing Rhydian that first hog roast when he was just the new, lone wolfblood in town. _Don't think about it, Mads. It'll make you tear up._ Gerwyn meanwhile helped Ceri cut up the roast, and they decided to just leave it on the kitchen counter and bus over heaping slices instead; the roast was so huge that if they had put it on the table, it would have been impossible to see around it.

The four of them all started to dig in after saying a small wolfblood prayer of thanks. Maddy felt surprisingly at-ease here, and for the first time she glanced around the house, admiring how much the interior reflected the wild wolfblood heritage of Rhydian's parents. The inside was decorated so that the whole house felt a little like a wolves' den. Maddy loved it.

And yet, things were about to take a drastic turn. Ceri was just going over to cut everyone some more slices of the roast, and she chattered as she bustled about.

"Maddy, I hope it's okay, we thought that after the meal we could have a Remembrance Ceremony in honor of your parents. Rhydian retrieved a few of their things from the house. We wanted to give them our respect and honor them as a family." Ceri had just turned back with a plate full of food when Maddy bolted from the table.

Maddy just barely heard snippets of conversation as she ran upstairs.

"Mom! You were supposed to let _me_ sound her out about the idea, not just go shoving it out there like that! You know she's still in mourning," Rhydian growled.

Gerwyn offered to go upstairs and talk to Maddy. Rhydian insisted firmly, "No. I'll do it." But as he moved to go, Ceri caught him by the elbow.

"No. Let me. Please." Rhydian hesitated. Maddy was his girlfriend and it was his job to comfort her and make sure she was all right, but there was something in his mom's look—a quiet pleading that reluctantly tore down his defenses. "Please, Rhydian. This was my mistake. I hate that I've upset her. Let me put it to rights." Rhydian gave her a curt nod and stood back with a grand wave of his arm.

"Good luck."

Ceri carefully ascended the steps. She found Maddy in the upstairs den, staring out the window into the comforting wildness of the woods. Maddy's shoulders trembled, and it was clear she'd been crying. Hearing Ceri enter, the girl turned to her and tried to put on a brave front. The turmoil in Maddy's hazel eyes ruined the effect.

The older wolfblood gingerly narrowed the space between them, taking a few slow steps. "Maddy, I'm sorry. I know this is hard. You must miss Dan and Emma so much. I know words are just…so inadequate." Ceri's face crinkled with empathy. "Sometimes, that's why we need _more_ than words. The Remembrance Ceremony can help. It can do what words cannot. If you give it a try, you might feel a connection with your parents watching over you from the Wild Beyond…" Ceri stopped, humbled by the grief and the tears lingering on Maddy's face. She reached out, smoothed one away. "We don't have to do the Ceremony today, if you don't want—"

"What right do you have proposing it anyway?" Maddy stormed. "They're _my_ parents." No sooner had the words slipped out, the teenage girl immediately regretted them. She sniffled, swiping at the remainder of her tears.

"Do you…?" Ceri hadn't even flinched. She knew Maddy wasn't trying to be cruel. She handed Maddy a tissue. Maddy blew her nose, sighed and looked up at Ceri with red-rimmed eyes.

"Ah I must look like a total mess." Maddy chuckled bitterly. "I was so worried about making a good impression with you and Gerwyn. So much for _that_ plan."

"Now you're talking complete bollocks," Ceri said with an encouraging smile. She cupped the side of Maddy's face. Maddy's attention zeroed in on her when she realized that now it was _Ceri's_ eyes which were moist. "Maddy…I've always wanted to say this, how sorry I am about how I treated you when I first knew you were in Rhydian's life. I was in a terrible place, feeling like a terrible parent who had abandoned her son, who hadn't done enough to find him. I think partly I took that out on you…on the whole world, on _anything_ that I perceived would take one precious second away from me being with Rhydian. From me catching up on all the time lost while I was separated from my beautiful boy."

Ceri stroked Maddy's cheek as she sighed. "And now I realize, my beautiful boy is becoming a man. The wolf inside him knows as well as I do, that Rhydian the man has chosen someone strong, someone with incredible heart, to one day be his mate. Someone who is beautiful inside and out, who looks out for others before herself. Who loves and has a generous nature, a compassion that goes beyond words too." Ceri's voice shook with emotion as she continued the thought. "That person is you, Maddy. Whatever you've done, being in my son's life has helped make him who he is today. Even when he didn't have either of us, his own parents, he had _you_. You nourished him. You gave him confidence in himself. You loved him when no one else did."

Ceri took a step back, taking Maddy's hands in hers to give them both a gentle squeeze. "Making a good impression? Maddy, you made your impression long ago, and I only regret that's it's taken me so long to see you for who you truly are—a gift in my son's life which I'm thankful for every single day." Now Maddy's eyes were moist too, damn it. She'd done five funerals' worth of crying already.

"Ceri…" Maddy didn't know how to find the words, but she didn't need to. Ceri was already wrapping her up in a hug, a tender embrace which Maddy returned, hugging her tight.

"I'll love you like the daughter I never had," Ceri murmured as they hugged one another even tighter. Ceri didn't see the tears of happiness that spilled from Maddy's eyes as she said those words. The perfect moment lasted a few seconds longer, until a commotion downstairs snapped at the attention of both female wolfbloods.

Maddy sniffed the air. She recognized two scents but not the third. _Damian? Jana?_ And a third wolfblood was with them. What…what on earth was going on?

As Ceri and Maddy rushed downstairs, they heard Jana's frantic voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Where's Maddy? We need her. It's Jeffries!"

Maddy came to a screeching halt in front of Jana, who was standing next to Damian and an older alpha female she'd never seen.

"What about Jeffries?" Maddy cried.

"They've taken him hostage." And just like that, Maddy's readjusted world spun on its axis once more.

 **A/N - Hey friends! I know this was evil of me, to leave it right there. I'm just trying to keep the chapters from being too massive :) Please let me know what you thought, what you think will happen next, or just a few encouraging words.**

 **Maddy finally gets a chance to know Ceri and Gerwyn and begin to trust them. Now she has to face her biggest crisis yet since getting back to Stoneybridge. The question is, does she trust Rhydian's parents enough to let them not just help out, but actually take the** ** _lead_** **, if she doesn't feel strong enough or confident enough to handle the situation? Throughout the show I always found it interesting how Maddy's alpha nature was often her best asset…but once in a while it could become a terrible drawback for her. In this case, we'll soon find out which…**


	12. Maddy to the Rescue

**Chapter 12 - Maddy to the Rescue**

Maddy couldn't believe that _this_ , of all things, was happening. Jeffries…held hostage. The one person who had been there for her when she'd returned to Stoneybridge, the one person who Maddy never dreamed would be put in danger… The slender wolfblood girl walked through the shadows of the woods on the edge of the village, her keen senses all too aware of the two wolfbloods lying in wait for her. She could sniff out their trails of scent. It wouldn't be long now…

The young she-wolf replayed the encounter at Ceri and Gerwyn's house just over an hour ago. Jana had interrupted before Maddy could turn wild to attack Damian and the woman beside him as they stood on Ceri's doorstep.

 _"Maddy, don't wolf out! Please, they've come to help. To warn us about Damian's two pack-mates, Steph and Kyle. Their wolves are in control of them. They're suffering from gwrthdaro."_

 _"What in the world are you talking about Jana? Stop wasting time. We need to save Jeffries!"_

 _"I know," Jana replied, "so listen to me. All of you." Rhydian, Ceri, and Gerwyn all stilled, their teeth clenched, dark lines crisscrossing their faces as they strained with the effort of not wolfing out, just as Maddy nearly had…_

 _Jana took a deep breath. "As I said before, I had a theory about why Steph and Kyle were so aggressive towards you, Mads. Now Damian and his true alpha have helped me confirm it. Maddy, I'd like you to meet Elizabeth Heartwick, Damian's mom."_

 _Maddy stared for a moment, thinking—_

 _So this was the wolfblood woman Dad had a cub with…before he met Mum? She hoped so, because God…otherwise it meant Dad had cheated on Mum, and Mads couldn't even consider it. Her parents loved each other too much._

 _Rhydian's angry voice shattered Maddy's thoughts. "Fine, so what does she know? Get on with it!"_

 _"I am afraid I am…partly to blame," Elizabeth said stiffly. "Stephanie and Kyle are Damian's younger half-siblings. Their father, Arthur, was the alpha of our pack before it splintered a few months ago…"_

 _Maddy frowned. "Okay, so Damian was yours and my dad's cub, and then you had two more cubs by this Arthur? What of it, why does this even matter?!" Maddy was nearly screaming._

 _Jana tried to calm her, putting a reassuring hand on Maddy's arm. "Because, it confirms what I told you all along. Stephanie and Kyle aren't in their right minds now. They're suffering from a wolfblood condition where a person's wolf is violently at odds with their human—so bad that their wolves have taken over, hijacked their rationality."_

 _Maddy's frown only deepened. "You're not making sense, Jana! Why would their wolves do that?"_

 _Damian ran a hand through his disheveled hair, shivering as he spoke. "It's really MY fault, Maddy. I should have known the effect my secret could have. They didn't know that mom had…had given birth to me by another wolfblood. She was young when she met our dad, and…Daniel left, not knowing she was pregnant with me. She met Arthur, my stepfather, not long after. She kept the secret of my birth father from everyone, even from my stepfather…though he suspected because I didn't smell quite right." Damian and his mother exchanged an uncomfortable look._

 _"Finally, she told me the truth…and I promised not to tell the rest of our family, but I couldn't keep the promise. I was weak and the secret felt like a burden I had to share, so I told Steph and Kyle. They were horrified when I confided my secret, but they agreed to help me find Daniel. I just wanted closure, to see who my birth dad really was…"_

 _Damian's face crumpled. "But deep down, I should have known… going to them for help was a mistake. Their wolves resented it, seething beneath the surface, I realize it now. They viewed the truth—me being the son of a wolf_ outside _of the pack—as an awful stain on the pack's honor."_

 _Jana nodded quickly, butting in. "Their wolves have consumed them to the point where they want only one thing Maddy—your death. They believe that it's the only way to erase the taint on their pack's honor. It's their primal wolf's reasoning at work…and it's why they took Jeffries hostage. To get to you."_

 _Maddy gasped as she took in Jana's words, as the puzzle pieces fit into place._

 _Jeffries was in danger…because of her._

Now, as Maddy trudged through the woods while reassessing the plan in her head, she just hoped that by the time she arrived it wouldn't be too late. She couldn't think about Rhydian, how he was torn to shreds over this—that she had to walk into the wolves' den of danger all by herself, every instinct in him screaming to protect his mate, and what he could do in this situation? Nothing.

She almost chuckled bitterly as she dodged a low-hanging branch. With a total crisis underway, everyone else had been shocked when Maddy had insisted on calling the only two people in her pack that weren't even wolfbloods—Tom and Shan. They were Maddy's best friends, though, and she didn't want to leave them out, not if they might be able to help come up with a plan to save Jeffries. Even though she was in the throes of panicking herself, she forced herself to admit— _I may not have the answer, but if we put enough heads together something has to give._

And Tom's suggestion—well, it had sounded just crazy enough to actually work! So here she was, slinking through the woods under the darkening sky, hoping that Tom's idea wouldn't get her and Jeffries killed.

But what else could they do? The note Steph had left had been so clear:

'Meet us at the clearing on the other side of the sharpest bend of Ashbury Creek, due west of the old church. Maddy must come alone, or the human dies. Don't think about trying anything, either; Stephanie will be using eolas the entire time. If you try to ambush us, we'll see it coming. If Maddy doesn't come alone, we'll rip out the human's throat.'

Maddy's rage was starting to eclipse her fear as she thought of poor Jeffries, probably terrified. With a wolf's fangs poised to tear out his jugular. It wasn't right, Jeffries didn't deserve this. _If I'd been more careful... If I'd warned Jeffries sooner…_ But how could she know that they would follow her all the way to Stoneybridge, or do something this horrific? Maddy thrust away the self-accusations. They would do absolutely no good, anyway, whether they were justified or not. _Focus, Mads. You have to save Jeffries. No one else can do it. It has to be you._

She neared the abandoned campsite the renegade wolves had taken over. She could smell and taste the acrid tang of smoke. She even caught a faint whiff of Jeffries. The clearing was tiny, but she saw through the gap in the trees once she crossed over the creek. A man lay on the ground, a wolf growling and snarling with him pinned to the grass. Judging from the ebony tint of the fur, it was Kyle. And then she heard Stephe's voice as the blonde wolfblood girl stepped from the shadow of a looming oak.

"Come here, little cub. Come save your precious human." Maddy dashed into the clearing, reaching in her pocket at the same time. Her senses were ultra-attuned, her wolf aware of every single movement with life or death on the line. She saw the whites of Jeffries eyes. She saw Kyle's fangs ready to rend his neck.

"Come and get me!" Maddy yelled. Kyle's wolf roared with all the rage Maddy could ever imagine as he lunged straight for her. At the same time Steph slid into her wolf, loping towards her with bright, feral eyes.

Maddy stopped, struck the match from her pocket. She had a matter of heartbeats to get this right. There would be _no_ second chances. She lit the wick of the black cat fireworks and threw the cluster of tiny explosives directly at Kyle's snout. As Steph and Kyle converged on Maddy, the agile wolfblood girl leapt backward, shielding her face. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A resounding series louder than thunderclaps filled the woods. The fireworks echoed through the forest like machinegun fire, painfully loud. Relentless. And the sudden piercing sounds were too much for the sensitive senses of the attacking wolfbloods, who had fully immersed themselves in their primal selves.

In the firecrackers Mads had it all—loud sounds and smoke, the things that attacked a wolf's most primal fears, and they sent the renegade wolfbloods reeling. Filled with terror, the wolfbloods fled in opposite directions. She heard a distant howling, her pack launching the attack, to hunt down the renegades.

"Jeffries! Are you hurt?" Maddy cried. She helped him up as he shook his head 'No'. She hugged him, her tears wetting his shirt. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said, her voice choking up as her heart felt full—almost as full as when Rhydian held her, but not quite, and it was a different type of fullness.

Suddenly there he was, Rhydian's gorgeous sandy-furred wolf bounding into the clearing. He growled in the direction which Kyle had fled and then sped off into the lushness of the wilderness. Ceri and Gerwyn were not far behind him, and then came Elizabeth and Damian. Damian's huge, chocolate-colored wolf stopped beside Maddy, whining as Maddy just nodded to him.

"It's all right. He's unharmed." Satisfied, Damian shot like a dart into the darkening forest. Maddy took Jeffries by the hand and tugged him towards the village. "We better not linger."

Jeffries trembled. He almost suggested they call the police, but then the laughable nature of the notion made him clamp his mouth shut. "What about…?" He jerked his chin in the two directions where the renegade wolfbloods had fled.

Maddy just tugged him harder. "With our pack's help, Damian's mum can get control of those two. She's their alpha. We'll explain the rest later."

With not another word, Maddy dragged Jeffries back to the safety of his bungalow, where Tom and Shan were waiting for them. As Maddy pulled Jeffries inside, Tom and Shan gave her a three-way hug, which was exactly what she needed.

When Maddy finally pulled away, her eyes were bright and her lip trembled as she nearly wept for joy. The gratitude on her face made Tom's chest puff out and at the same time had the boy feeling unusually emotional.

"So Mads, it worked!"

"What worked?" Jeffries said, all mystified. Maddy grinned at Jeffries, then at Tom.

"We knew that Steph was watching the house with eolas, so we knew _we_ couldn't try anything sneaky." Maddy's grin widened. "But Steph and Kyle didn't know about Tom or Shan. When I called Tom, he came up with the idea of hiding a pack of fireworks and matches on the route I would take to meet up with Steph and Kyle. I slid them into my pockets as I walked by…and the rest, well the rest is history."

"That and a bit of luck," Shan added, amazement in her voice.

Jeffries collapsed onto his couch with a drawn-out groan. When he had agreed to take Maddy Smith into his home, he had had no idea what he was getting into. Seeing he was still recovering, Maddy shooed Shan and Tom towards the kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea, Jeffries?"

"Maddy, I think I'm going to need several."

"Cups?"

"No. Gallons."

With Jeffries' rueful smile, Maddy and her best friends realized something important. Jeffries was made of sterner stuff than they'd ever guessed. He sat up now, rubbing his eyes as he looked over at Maddy, marveling at her in a way he had never done before.

"Maddy Smith, that was very brave of you, what you did back there." Before Maddy could thank him for the compliment, the head teacher added, "And also very stupid. Promise me you'll never put yourself in danger like that again."

Maddy looked to the ceiling, stifling the urge to sigh. Jeffries was almost as bad as Rhydian!

"Jeffries, it was _my_ fault you were in danger. How could I not rescue you? Plus there was no other way."

The old Jeffries was already back, as unbreakable as an ironclad ship. "This is not something I will accept, Maddy Smith. You and I are going to have a serious talk about what to do in the event of future wolfblood incidents in Stoneybridge. Do you understand?" The hard glint in Jeffries' eyes told Maddy that the head teacher had an idea or two about that…which made the teenage girl wonder just what exactly he had in mind.

"We will talk more of this later," Jeffries muttered, clutching his head. The events of the past few hours had taken their toll, even on the indestructible history teacher.

Now the young she-wolf's thoughts turned to Rhydian…and to Damian. What would they do once Steph and Kyle had been caught and cowed into submission? Would they stay for a bit so that Maddy could get to know Damian? Or would his mom insist on taking her pack back right away, back over the ocean to Virginia…where Maddy might never see him again? As the heart-pounding intensity of the crisis eased, Maddy felt pangs of longing. _I want to get to know my brother…but will I even have the chance?_

 **A/N - The crisis is over…Or is it? Next chapter we'll find out why Damian's pack broke apart and how it might affect his future—and Maddy's. (Also, a major dose of Maddian incoming! In this story arc I still haven't had Rhydian take Maddy out on their first "official" date, it'll be short but also sweet and memorable.)**

 **AND: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please share your thoughts, what you liked most :) You guys make this so much fun and I love writing for you and seeing your suggestions / comments. One of Maddy's better alpha tendencies that she learned over the course of the show was that, the more inclusive you can be as a leader trying to solve a problem, usually the better. So I wanted this past chapter to show clever Maddy going to the very people the average wolfblood would least expect—the humans in her pack.**


	13. The Big Surprise, Part 1 of 2

**Chapter 13 - The Big Surprise, Part 1 of 2**

The blonde wolfblood boy and the history teacher stood in comfortable silence across the street from Bernie's. Jeffries could just make out Maddy and Damian sitting in the window, chatting over milkshakes. Damian said something and Maddy laughed. The brunette replied, all animated before she took a sip of her drink.

"Don't you think you're going a little overboard Sir, watching over Mads while she just has a milkshake with Damian?"

Jeffries frowned. "After everything that's happened, considering the state of Damian's pack, what do you think?"

Rhydian's expression turned sheepish. "Point taken."

It had been two weeks since the infamous hostage incident with Jeffries. Things had calmed down noticeably, but loose ends, troubling ones, remained.

Rhydian rubbed the back of his neck, looking in a contemplative way at Maddy and Damian still chatting away.

"How much longer will Damian and his family stick around, Sir?"

Jeffries sighed. "It's hard to say, Rhydian. Another two weeks at the most, I should think. Mrs. Heartwick is making progress with her children. She's been watching them closely, 24/7 until she's sure that this…condition Jana warned us about…has passed."

Rhydian nodded. "I'm sure when Steph and Kyle are back to their true selves, their human sides balancing out their wolves, they'll feel terrible about everything they've done."

The history teacher put a hand on Rhydian's shoulder in reassurance. "Let's hope you're right, but either way—I won't be sorry to see them go." Rhydian chuckled as Jeffries smiled.

"Very understandable, Sir." Suddenly an uncomfortable silence filled the space, and then Rhydian spoke with hesitation. "Sir, what do you think of Damian? I mean, now that you've had a chance to meet him properly and see him around Maddy…"

The older man rubbed his chin in that thoughtful way of his. "To be honest, Rhydian, I think there is much that Damian and Maddy will still need to work through." Jeffries was tempted to say more. Maddy had confided in him about this last night. The problem was, when Maddy saw Damian, it still reminded her of the tragic accident with her parents. Her conscious brain _knew_ that none of what had happened was really Damian's fault—how could he have known what would happen? But in quiet moments she still found herself bitter at Damian, at Damian's whole family, just because of the very fact that they had, in a way, started the series of events that led to her parents' deaths. The gulf between the half-siblings couldn't be erased overnight. But Jeffries had tried to ease Maddy's fears. The history teacher thought back to their talk last night.

" _Maddy, this won't be easy. After everything you've been through, it's natural to look for an easy scapegoat. Sometimes it's easier to redirect your pain towards others, instead of processing it yourself. But the very fact that you're telling me this, about how you sometimes catch yourself feeling bitter and angry towards Damian—that's an encouraging sign. If you know you're doing it, that's a huge step forward, Maddy. I can't stress this enough."_

Jeffries had squeezed Maddy's shoulder and given her a hug, and he was fairly certain their talk had helped. Then again, with teenage girls it was hard to know. God knew, Jeffries was no expert.

As Jeffries and Rhydian loitered together across from Bernie's, the history teacher felt a gust of wind whip by like a playful smack from Nature.

 _One step at a time. She'll get there._

Jeffries checked his watch. "Well, Rhydian, I'm back off to the office. I'll be marking exams until late and I have two committee meetings after that, so tell Maddy I've left her a lasagna plate in the fridge. Make sure Maddy gets home all right, yes?"

"Yes, Sir. You can count on me."

But Maddy was already walking out with Damian, and the two came right up to Jeffries.

"Hey," Mads said, swaying as a fresh gust of wind whipped her silky hair right across her eyes. She brushed it away, smiling at Jeffries and Rhydian. Damian looked at the ground, clearly uncomfortable being around Maddy's guardian and boyfriend, especially knowing that they still didn't trust him.

"Maddy, you go enjoy your time at Shannon's. I need to get back to it."

Maddy laughed. "I know. I saw the pile of exams on your desk. It's nearly as tall as I am."

"That's not saying much," Rhydian teased, earning a punch in the shoulder from Maddy.

The wolfblood girl sprang forward and rose on her tiptoes to give Jeffries a peck on the cheek. Jeffries tried not to blush. Ever since the day she'd rescued Jeffries, Maddy had been acting differently. She was just warmer and more affectionate around him. The stiff, ever-formal Mr. Jeffries had been annoyed at first, but now he minded it less and less. She was starting to become almost a little like an adopted daughter to him, though of course the history teacher would _never_ have admitted it to a single soul…especially Maddy.

"All right. Go have fun. And you two," he said, giving Maddy and Rhydian a pointed look, "stay out of trouble or anything that even resembles Trouble's second cousin. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly!" Maddy and Rhydian said in unison. Jeffries waved as he started back towards school at his customary brisk, businesslike pace.

When Jeffries had gone, Maddy gave Damian a goodbye hug, and then it was just the two wolfbloods, boyfriend and girlfriend.

Maddy put her hands in her pockets, staring at the cobblestones. Why was she nervous? She was never nervous around Rhydian.

"So…what's this big surprise?" she asked.

Rhydian's smile lit up the street like the sun lighting up the world on a carefree morning. "Sorry for making you lie, Mads." He'd asked Maddy to lie to Jeffries, to tell him that she was going to hang out with Shannon this afternoon.

"Making me lie, it better be worth it," Mads shot back.

"Oh, it _is_ , believe me." The last few days Rhydian had secretly gone off on his own for long stretches. It had been driving Maddy absolutely mad.

Rhydian spoke as he twined his fingers with Maddy's. "I was thinking, since we both got back to Stoneybridge, we've never had a proper official first date together. I thought I could take you on one. You ready?"

Maddy stiffened. "What, you mean _now_?" Suddenly the cute girl looked down at her petite figure trapped in the wrinkled folds of the less than attractive Bradlington High uniform, feeling a little grungy from the long day at school. This was _not_ her looking her best. Even if Maddy wasn't a proper girl in some ways, the idea of going on her first real date with Rhydian like this filled her with dismay. Outrage and embarrassment flashed across Maddy's pretty face, and Rhydian thought it was adorable.

"You can't do this to a girl, Rhydian. I can't—you can't just spring this on me. How can we have a proper date if I'm not even prepared for—"

He shut her up with a kiss, his hand slipping up the back of her shirt to caress bare skin.

Maddy sighed as she welcomed the kiss, but a second later she broke away and smacked at his invading hand. "Rhydian, we're in public."

Humor lit up Rhydian's eyes. "So…?"

Maddy didn't know whether to be furious or excited.

Rhydian shrugged. "You want your surprise or not? You're going to have to trust me. I wanted our first date to be special, and I've been planning this all week. You don't have to do anything except be yourself, Mads. That's what I wanted for our first date. Not this huge build-up with you being all nervous…that's why I made it a surprise."

Maddy wavered. Rhydian caressed her cheek, coaxing her to surrender. "Please?"'

Her face softened as she leaned into his touch. "You make it very hard to say 'No'" she muttered with a smile.

Rhydian's grin now took over his whole face. "Perfect. First things first. Close your eyes, and you have to keep them closed until we get there."

Maddy took a deep breath. _Okay…he asked me to trust him. I'm going to trust him._ No sooner had she closed her eyes, Maddy felt Rhydian's strong arms picking her up. She instinctively put her hands behind his neck, clinging to him as she protested—her eyes still closed.

"Rhydian, what are you doing?!"

"I told you…keep your eyes shut. I don't want to ruin the surprise," he whispered.

"Yes, but couldn't you just lead me by the hand? There are people around, Rhydian! You don't have to carry me!"

"Nonsense, Mads, this is more romantic," Rhydian said, and she could hear the laughter waiting to bubble out from his chest. The impossible boy was having way too much fun with this.

She huffed and squirmed, begging for him to let her down. He refused. After what seemed eternity to Maddy—blushing furiously all the while—she began to hear the sounds of civilization fade away. She listened to birdsong, the soft tickle of the wind through the branches, and the rushing sound of water trickling in the background. She felt him set her down on a soft forest floor, the scent of pine and woodsy goodness making her feel safe. At home.

"Okay, Mads. You can open your eyes now."

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans! The rest of Maddy and Rhydian's first date will be** **completed** **in the next chapter, which should be up within a few minutes of this one. You'll enjoy the surprise Rhydian has in store for Maddy…but those aren't the only surprises coming up, I promise ;)**


	14. The Big Surprise, Part 2 of 2

**Chapter 14 - The Big Surprise, Part 2 of 2**

Maddy looked around, saw the creek rushing by below, the waters swirling and leaping over shiny, rounded rocks.

"Do you know where we are?"

"Of course I do!" Maddy said. _This is where Rhydian and I walked together the first day we met, when I explained to him that he wasn't a 'werewolf'. This is where I taught Rhydian that being a wolfblood was not a curse, but a gift._

"I thought we could walk from here," Rhydian said, offering his hand. Maddy took it, squeezing it as she felt her heart pound a little faster.

With the gushing flow of the creek to guide them, the two wolfbloods walked deeper into the woods, until the sounds of Stoneybridge were lost in the ancient wildness of the trees sheltering them from the rest of an oblivious world. Rhydian took Maddy to a tall, truly ancient-looking tree that rose up higher than the rest. A low overhanging branch offered the perfect route to climb up.

Rhydian leapt up, turned back and offered his hand. "Come on. Follow me."

Maddy threw him a quizzical look. "Where are you taking me?"

But the wolfblood boy just grinned. "You trusted me this far. Are you going to chicken out on me _now_?"

Just for that, Maddy leapt up onto Rhydian's back, pretend-biting him in the neck. Rhydian grunted with the effort of holding their combined weight, then swung around so that she could get down. The two of them kept climbing, higher and higher until they could see above the rest of the treetops, at the purplish-magenta sky wreathing the setting sun.

"It's beautiful Rhydian." Maddy rested her head on his shoulder, thinking this was why he had brought her all the way up here. But Rhydian's grin told her she was all wrong.

"What?"

"That's not the view I took you up here for, Mads."

"Huh?"

"Try looking down."

Maddy gasped. In the clearing below someone had arranged gigantic letters out of hundreds of stones taken from the moors. And the huge letters spelled out these words: RHYDIAN LOVES MADDY. FOREVER.

Maddy's heart did a little pirouette as she filled with a happiness that couldn't be contained. She turned to Rhydian, ready to kiss the life out of him—but she stopped.

"Rhydian, why are you crying?" Tears were actually streaming down his face. This wasn't the Rhydian she knew…not at all. She tugged on his hand. "Rhydian? What's wrong?"

Rhydian blinked away future tears, stubbornly keeping them at bay. "Mads…I was just thinking how…how I've failed you."

Maddy's hand gently stroked his arm. "What on earth are you talking about?"

The wolfblood boy made a helpless sound. "I've failed to protect you. First, you had to go running off to Canada after some of our schoolmates nearly discovered you were a wolfblood. _Then_ I wasn't here for you when you came back to Stoneybridge with nowhere else to go. And on top of it all, _then_ you had to single-handedly confront Steph and Kyle and put yourself in danger." Rhydian took a shaky breath. He closed his eyes with a shudder. "I've failed you time and again Mads, and I just feel awful about it." He opened his eyes, and they glistened with fresh tears. "I mean, I love you Mads. If you can't protect the one you love…what _can_ you do? I haven't been there for you when I should have, I haven't—"

Now it was Maddy's turn to shut him up with a kiss. She threaded her fingers through his hair, softly pressing her lips to his as their scents wove together. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, forgetting for a moment that they were 50 meters high in a tree. She just let Rhydian feel how wrong he was. She let her lips show him what words couldn't.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes filled with love, she saw his breathing steady. His shuddering stopped.

"Rhydian Morris…" she grinned with a tear of her own. "What am I going to do with you?" She took his hand and brought it up to her face, relishing the feel of their skin to skin contact. "You have _not_ failed me, Rhydian. Just the opposite." She turned and kissed the palm of his hand. Judging from his reaction, it was as if all of her love had just flowed straight through his hand and arm, striking him right in the heart.

"You have been an amazing boyfriend. You _have_ been there for me. Just because you can't control everything that happens, just because you can't put me in a bubble and keep me from all the dangers out there, that doesn't mean you're a failure!" Rhydian looked down, and she tugged on his shirt until he would meet her eyes again. "You were there for me when it mattered. You helped me get over losing my parents. Before I had to flee to Canada, how many times did you save me from trouble or help get me out of trouble? No one has ever done for me as much as you have." _Besides Mum and Dad_ she thought…but she had to let the thought go or she would start to cry.

The slender girl reached up, cupping Rhydian's face and shaking his head gently. "Never. Ever. Think. That. Again. You have not failed me. You have been the one true constant in my life besides my parents, besides Tom and Shan. Because Rhydian, I still need you…my heart still hurts, and I can't have you filling yourself with doubts and all this other rubbish. I need you to be strong…for me…for us. Okay?" Maddy blinked back a stupid tear. _God, get it together Mads!_

Rhydian nodded, grinning even as his eyes were still uncharacteristically wet. The boy abruptly wiped them away. The calmness came back over his face, the old Rhydian back and here to stay.

"Thanks, Mads," he said, putting an arm around her. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, admiring the slanting sunlight from the magenta haze on the horizon. "I needed to hear that. You even gave me a great idea."

Maddy's eyebrows quirked up. "Oh, and what's that?"

"I'm going to build a really big bubble to put my girlfriend in. Then, problem solved." His goofy grin made her smile as she punched him in the shoulder.

"Not gonna happen, leak boy."

Rhydian kissed her on the forehead. "Want to go down and see the next part of your surprise?"

Maddy's whole face lit up. "There's more?"

"Is there more? Ha. I'm just getting starting. This is our first date, I have to impress you."

Maddy's laughter flew out to join the breeze above the forest.

Once they had climbed down, Rhydian showed her what he meant. Underneath the first letter of each word he had placed presents for her. Under the letter 'R' in Rhydian she found a small box of cherry wood. Opening it, she found shards of sea glass and beautifully colored stones crafted to a polished sheen by the constant pressure of the ocean.

"What's this?"

"I took them from the beach at Lindisfarne when you weren't looking. I never wanted to forget being with you, the first time you changed. That's one of my favorite memories of you."

The wolfblood girl put a hand to her mouth, touched beyond words. She finally peeped out, "Me too" as she gave Rhydian a bone-crushing hug. "I love it. Thank you."

Once he had shown her the rest of his presents, Maddy insisted that they go back to Jeffries' bungalow. _She_ was taking over the plans for the rest of this official date, and when Rhydian tried to argue, she put a finger to his lips. Her expression said it all: _Give up now and save yourself the trouble._ Caving in to his girlfriend, Rhydian let Maddy take charge. Soon they were back in Stoneybridge, at Jeffries' house. She led him into her room…onto her bed.

She patted the comforter beside her. When he sat next to her, she moved like lightning. Straddling him, Maddy kissed him. Her hands slid down his chest. It would still be some hours before Jeffries returned, and Maddy knew it. One thing led to another…and soon the two of them were shirtless. Maddy reached back to unhook her bra as Rhydian's hands strokes her sides.

There was no doubt where this was all headed—they both knew it.

Suddenly Rhydian's hands were resting on Maddy's bare shoulders. "Mads. Wait."

Maddy froze. "What's the matter?"

Rhydian leaned up, nipping at her lips as his hands slipped around her waist. With their faces barely apart, he gave her a searching look.

"Did you not bring…you know…" she ventured. He knew what she meant.

"That's not it, Mads." He sighed, stroking her hair. "I…"

"What?" Maddy's body felt warm and alive. She didn't want this to stop. Only Rhydian's hands stroking her hair, touching her gently, kept her from groaning with frustration.

"I think we should wait."

Maddy gaped at her boyfriend. She looked aside, suddenly self-conscious as Rhydian pulled her to him and laid back, helping her snuggle against his chest.

"But why? Don't you want to?"

Rhydian grinned, giving her a playful bop on the nose with his fingertip. "Believe me, I _want_ to. More than anything."

"Then why?"

Rhydian propped himself up on one elbow. "Because, Mads, it'll be just as amazing if we wait. Because I want to know that this is really what you want, what you're _ready_ for. Six weeks ago you were living in Canada with your parents. So much has happened…and part of me wonders if plunging ahead like this is something you're doing because of it."

"But Rhydian—"

"I know this is what you think you want, Mads," he rushed on. "But what if you're not quite ready? With everything that's been going on, the last thing you need is to take this huge step before you're completely ready, emotionally, in every way. And let's face it, Mads, you've been through so much lately. You can't tell me that maybe, just _maybe_ , you might be rushing what's between us because after all the things thrown at you, with you and me together now—sometimes it feels like it's us against the world."

Rhydian sighed. "Even if it is, though, that doesn't mean we have to rush this. In fact, I think it's better if we savor it. I love you so much, Mads. All I know is this; if we don't rush this, there's no downside. Let's say we wait a few months, a year even. What's the worst that can happen? You're still my sexy wolfblood girl."

Maddy gave him a rueful smile. "When you say it like that…"

Rhydian fished out the item from his pocket, the item they'd no longer be needing, and put it on the nightstand.

"You're sure?" Maddy said. She bit her lip. "Because if you are, then I expect you to make up for being such an evil tease."

Rhydian grinned. "Your wish is my command." Maddy's grin matched his, mischief for mischief, as she straddled him again, leaning down to kiss him with a passion that wouldn't hold back.

And that was of course when it happened. The door swung open and Jeffries walked in, stunned beyond belief.

 _Oh no! NO! Oh god!_ Maddy swung around with a yelp as all the color drained from Rhydian's face.

Jeffries' eyes narrowed with an intensity as strong as the crack of a judge's gavel landing SMACK with a verdict of GUILTY.

Maddy's last thoughts before Jeffries spoke: _Oh God. We are totally busted._

 **A/N - Poor Maddy and Rhydian. The wrath of Jeffries is about to hit… How will Jeffries handle it? He's started trusting Maddy more and more, so will this shake up his trust in her? Damian's pack will come back into play too. Maddy will have to figure out what kind of relationship she might want with Damian's mom, and the rest of his pack. Things are getting complicated in Stoneybridge…but then again, that's what makes Wolfblood so much fun :)**

 **Wolfblood fans, please review or comment. Your encouragement means the world to me because let's face it, you guys are awesome :)**


	15. A Dangerous Gift

**Chapter 15 - A Dangerous Gift**

"Very good, Mrs. Heartwick. I'll speak to her and let you know what she decides." Jeffries put down the phone. His fingers drummed against the desktop as he considered his conversation with Damian's mom.

 _Am I asking too much of Maddy?_ He wasn't sure, and that's what scared the head teacher. He was used to being decisive…and this? This was the exact opposite of the decisive role he was accustomed to filling, day in and day out at Bradlington High. But those were the days when he had been blissfully unaware of the world of wolfbloods—and ever since Maddy had come back into his life the fateful day she returned from Stoneybridge, revealing what she was—well, there was no going back.

 _Do I let her make this decision or do I make it for her?_ Technically she was still just a teenage girl, and part of Jeffries felt he had to choose for Maddy. But by wolfblood reckoning, she was an alpha, she had a pack, and this was definitely a wolfblood dilemma they had on their hands. There was no easy answer. _Exams are black and white, answers right and wrong. Life is awash in hues of gray._ There was a reason Jeffries had decided to be a teacher. There was a comfort to the life he'd been leading. Being responsible for another life, though, for Maddy's—it had changed everything, hadn't it?

Jeffries' phone buzzed again, he picked it up on the first ring. His eyes widened with shock as he listened. The second he hung up he rushed out of his office, telling Ms. Maple that he would be back momentarily due to an emergency.

He tried dialing Rhydian's cell. No answer. He tried Maddy's. No answer. He tried Shannon's. Thankfully… _she_ answered.

"Shannon, can I speak with Maddy?"

"Umm…she's not available right now, Sir."

"This is an emergency. I need to find Rhydian. Get Maddy on the phone."

A brief, devastating pause. "Sir, Maddy's not here."

"She's not?"

"No, Sir. Rhydian had planned to take her on a date, just the two of them. I'm not sure where they are."

His blood pressure rising, Jeffries thanked Shannon and told her to call immediately if Rhydian or Maddy contacted her. He rushed home to his bungalow, unlocked the front door, hurried inside. He thought he heard movement in Maddy's bedroom. With brisk strides he was at her door, swinging it wide open—and there they were.

Jeffries took in the scene—Rhydian lying on the bed, shirtless. Maddy straddling him wearing nothing but her bra above the waist, bent over as they kissed…Rhydian's hand sliding up Maddy's back…

There was a squeal of shock as Maddy turned around and saw who it was. Rhydian paled like he'd seen a ghost.

"M-Mr. Jeffries," Rhydian stuttered, eyes wild. Maddy blushed furiously as she scrambled for the nearest T-shirt.

Jeffries' eyes narrowed as he felt a surge of anger and disappointment. Clearly he would need to have a talk with these two…and he looked forward to the idea almost as much as a root canal without pain meds. He didn't dwell on it though, either. _Maddy and Rhydian's hanky-panky aside, we have more pressing issues to fret about._

Jeffries made a curt gesture, snapping his fingers. "Get dressed you two, and meet me outside."

Rhydian and Maddy exchanged a confused look. "Jeffries…" Maddy began, questions on the tip of her tongue.

"Just come along. I'll explain in the car. We'll deal with _this_ later," he said, making a frustrated gesture at Maddy's bed that encompassed the prone position he'd found them in. Minutes later they were in the car, Maddy and Rhydian in the backseat as Jeffries wove through some of Stoneybridge's narrower streets. When he hit the county road, he relaxed just a little. He shifted gears and the engine purred as they made their way out of the village.

"Rhydian, I received a call from your Mum. Your father collapsed this afternoon."

Rhydian stiffened as if a whip had lashed him across the face. Maddy's hand quickly clasped his, trying to comfort him. Her other hand stroked his arm as she looked up at his tormented face.

"Well, what happened? Is he all right?" Rhydian cried.

"They sent for a pack healer. That's as much as I know, Rhydian. I'm sorry. I'll get you there. We're just a few minutes out now."

Rhydian hunched miserably in the back, Maddy still trying to provide comfort. She snuggled up against him.

"It'll be okay, Rhydian. Jeffries will get us there soon," she murmured, not knowing what else to say. It sucked, not being able to do anything for her boyfriend…and Rhydian knew she was trying, but nothing could be helped; he stayed as tense as a wooden board, wound tightly while a thousand worries flitted through his head. He had just finally gotten his family back, after missing out on having real parents for most of his life. This couldn't happen. Life couldn't be this cruel.

 _Please let my dad be all right. Please_ , he begged, praying to whatever powers, whatever wolfblood ancestors might hear his plea. Soon enough they arrived, Jeffries pulling up to the house. Rhydian was out the side door like a bullet, running up the front walk with Maddy right behind. Ceri greeted them at the door.

"It's okay pets, calm down. Slow down!"

"Mom! Where's dad?" Ceri squeezed her son with a reassuring hug.

"He's resting comfortably in the master bedroom, Rhydian. The pack healer's attending him even as we speak. Go on in. You can see him if you want to."

Rhydian vanished and Maddy automatically followed. Jeffries trailed behind, greeting Ceri and speaking with her in a low voice.

When Rhydian saw his dad, his shoulders sagged with relief. Gerwyn sat up in bed, his eyes alert and filled with good humor. A rumpled shirt matched his rumpled hair, but otherwise he didn't look too much the worse for wear. His face sported a smirk as he saw the two young wolfbloods rush up to his bedside.

"Dad, what happened?"

"I decide to take an unplanned nap, and suddenly everyone wants to fuss over me," Gerwyn teased, ruffling Rhydian's hair. "Come here and give an old wolf a hug." He hugged Rhydian tight as Rhydian wrapped his arms around him like he'd never let go. Then Gerwyn saw Maddy hovering behind her boyfriend.

"You too, she-wolf. That's one of the perks of being ill. I get free hugs—as many as I want." Maddy blushed a little as she rushed forward and gave Rhydian's dad a hug too. He ruffled her hair in that same playful way and then smiled broadly.

This whole time the pack healer had stood by quietly, watching. Now the two young wolfbloods finally noticed him. Truth be told, he was hard _not_ to notice.

Gerwyn swiveled to the grizzled old healer. One of his eyes was milky-white, with an angry scar—he was clearly half-blind. His other eye was a golden-green, a mix of color that Rhydian and Maddy had never seen.

"Rhydian, Maddy, I'd like you to meet Denarus. He's as old as the ancestors, so they say—which in my case is a very good thing, because he knows his medicines like I know a deck of cards." Gerwyn winked at them, his love of gambling well known.

"Your father will make a full recovery," the grizzled old wolfblood explained. His skin had so many wrinkles. It looked papery thin, like a gust of wind might leave great tears across his body. But he looked somehow permanent, indestructible at the same time, as if he had seen far more in his life than most people ever would.

Denarus turned back towards Gerwyn. "Eat the roots I gave you once a day, just a half cup. Make sure you cook them thoroughly beforehand. I'll have regular deliveries brought. Those should control your blood pressure in the short term. In the longer term, the more potent side of the medicine will do its slow but steady work, and your heart will heal."

Gerwyn nodded gratefully, and that's when Maddy noticed the old healer looking at her in a peculiar way.

"This is the she-wolf you told me about? The one who lost her parents?"

Maddy almost teared up at the healer's bluntness. She wasn't sure she liked him now. But his eyes held only mystery and kindness; somehow they stilled Maddy's emotions and made her want to trust him.

"Can we speak for a moment in private, Maddy?"

The wolfblood girl nodded. "Uh, sure." She walked out the back door, following the old wolfblood's lead. Denarus had a lively step, which surprised her given his age. He turned around, rummaging in his pack.

"I have a gift for you, she-wolf."

Maddy frowned. "A gift?"

The pack healer fished out a smaller pouch, and from inside it he pulled out an ancient-looking leather-bound book, placing it in her hands. It was about the size of a journal, and the cover had been worn by many previous owners. It felt so soft to the touch. The pages were made of some kind of thick animal skin…not modern paper. She stroked the sides of the pages and glanced up, uncertain.

"It is difficult, losing the ones you love," Denarus said with a cryptic look in his eyes. "Yet…what if I told you that they are not lost?"

The girl just looked at him. Was this some cruel joke? No…his expression was too sincere.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Knowledge is a fickle thing. It comes…it goes. As much as humans like to think they have amassed more and more of it, they leave some of the most precious scraps slipping through their fingers, discarding what they don't recognize. Even we wolfbloods are guilty of that, now and again." He gestured at the book. "The day may come when you are ready to speak with our ancestors. The day may come when you wish to hear the voices of your parents again." He rested one hand atop hers as she held the book. "When that day comes, when you are sure you are healed from all that has happened, and not a moment before… _open_ this book. Read and decipher its secrets. It is not for the faint of heart."

All of this cryptic language had Maddy reeling. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or intrigued. And, she had to admit it—now she felt both.

"I still don't understand."

Denarus gently patted her hand before he pulled away. "It is all right, cub. You are still in mourning for them. It is natural. It is as it should be. But when the day comes when you have moved beyond that part of your life, when your heart does not ache with quite the sharp pangs of loss you feel now…then you will _know_. Then it will be time for you to open the book and learn the truth.

"What truth?" Maddy was trying to stay polite, but the more frustrated she got, the more she wanted to shake this old, riddle-spouting healer by the shoulders and demand some real answers!

"The truth that eolas is not the only powerful tool our ancestors have passed down to us, she-wolf. The truth that your parents are not severed from you as irreversibly as you might think." Denarus walked past her towards the house, leaving Maddy stunned…and deep, deep in thought. He turned back, tossing her the pouch that had contained the ancient book.

"And one more thing, cub. Tell no one of the gift I have given you." His gaze drilled through her, demanding submission. She nodded absently, too many questions ensnaring her like an animal caught in a net.

After Denarus had left, she stood there—marveled at the book. Part of her felt intrigued, but she also felt a shiver of fear tiptoe down every bone in her spine.

 _Tell no one? But why?_

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans :) It's been an awesome week and I have a brand new keyboard, so I'm being extra productive and I hope you liked this chapter. Jeffries will have to decide how much he wants to try to protect Maddy from some hard decisions. Maddy will have some unexpected quandaries to figure out, like what to do with the healer's book…who does she tell? Does she tell no one? And of course the fallout from Jeffries catching her and Rhydian on Maddy's bed…awkward and funny moments to come.**

 **Comments, as always, are like the shiniest presents :) …and I'm nearing 100 comments, which is just AMAZING and I have to say thank you guys so much for all your support. Help me reach 100 ;)**


	16. Needing Forgiveness

**Chapter 16 - Needing Forgiveness**

 _The wolfblood tore into him without hesitation. Jeffries looked down. There was blood everywhere. It was hard to believe that all that blood was his…but it was. The bite marks on his forearm throbbed with fire…and that's when the head teacher fainted._

 ** _A Half Hour Earlier…_** ****

Maddy quietly walked up the back steps as she slipped the healer's book back into the pouch where it belonged. Lost in thought, she quickly came out of her reverie when she heard Ceri and Rhydian talking.

"Mum, can we just drop it?"

"We most certainly cannot. Mr. Jeffries told me about the state he found you and Maddy in."

Maddy stiffened at first, until she heard Gerwyn's chuckle in the background.

"Look, Mum… Let me explain—"

"No, you let _me_ ask the questions, young man. Were you being responsible? Using protection?"

Maddy could hear her boyfriend's mortification as Rhydian sighed as if death by embarrassment was actually a possible way to go…

"Yes! We were." She heard Rhydian rummage around in his pocket. "See? But that's beside the point. Maddy and I decided to wait…to make sure she was ready."

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"I'm proud of you, son," said Gerwyn, and Maddy still thought she heard a healthy dose of laughter waiting to come out. "You've got more discipline than I had at your age."

"Gerwyn!" Ceri exploded. "Really, you're not helping."

Rhydian sighed. "For once, Mum, I have to agree with you."

Maddy knelt quietly in the hallway outside the bedroom. She had to somehow get down this hallway without being detected…before they knew she was eavesdropping and not still out talking to the healer.

Ceri resumed, "Rhydian, be gentle with her. And be responsible. That's all we ask."

"She's right, son," Gerwyn added. "In fact, your mother and I can go into the village for a few hours if you and Maddy want the place to yourselves for a while."

"Gerwyn, do you have no shame!?" Ceri hissed. Then she quickly added, "But we can, Rhydian, when you're ready…when you _and_ Maddy are ready. Let us know and we won't stand in your way."

The shock in Rhydian's voice actually made Maddy smile.

"You would…do that? Jeffries would be appalled if he heard you say something like that."

"Well Jeffries is human now, isn't he? And even tame wolfbloods view these things differently than we do. The wild wolfblood way says that when two wolfbloods feel, in their very bones, in the very souls of their two wolves, that the mate bond exists between them—it's a sacred connection. We honor that bond. We don't try to prevent it. Wild wolfbloods mate for life, Rhydian. We haven't become soft or weak, our inner wolf _knows_ when he or she has found its mate."

There was this hesitation as Ceri paused, and it made Maddy sharpen her ears to make sure she didn't miss a single word.

"To be honest, Rhydian, there's a reason besides my own stupid selfishness that I haven't been supportive of you being close to Maddy in the past."

"Really?" Rhydian asked.

"Yes." Ceri cleared her throat uncomfortably. Apparently this didn't come easily for her to admit, whatever it was, and Maddy craned her neck to hear. "Tame wolfbloods _are_ a bit different than we are. As we've evolved and they've evolved separately, we wild wolfbloods have developed certain strengths, tendencies they don't have, and vice versa. Many of the tames can't use eolas, or they can't use it as well as we can. Some…like in Maddy's case, have more trouble using eolas without becoming addicted, letting it control them." Ceri took a deep breath. "And another difference between us is that while wild wolfbloods almost always mate for life"—she cast a meaningful look in Gerwyn's direction—"tame wolfbloods are known to be less committed. Relationships between wild wolfbloods and tames don't have a very good track record because tames sometimes leave when things get rough. They aren't always as tough-minded as we are."

"What are you saying?" Rhydian said, an edge to his voice.

"None of that matters," Ceri said brightly. "Because I know the truth of Maddy. I've seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks and acts around you. She—"

Maddy had taken action without even realizing it, as if she'd been determined to let her heart guide her, embarrassment and consequences be damned. She'd rushed into the room and taken Rhydian's hand in hers. Now it was _Ceri's_ turn to feel all embarrassed.

Maddy gave Rhydian's hand a squeeze and threw Ceri a look. "You were saying?"

Gerwyn's laughter filled the room. It took him a long time to bring it under control. "I like her, Rhydian. I definitely like her. God, she's a feisty one, isn't she?"

Rhydian glanced down at his alpha, one side of his mouth tugging upward in that smug smirk he did better than anyone. "You have no idea." He slipped his arm around her, hugging her against his side as Ceri laughed too.

"I deserved that," the older wolfblood woman said. She came up to Maddy and took her by the hands.

"What I was going to say, Maddy, is this… No matter what innate tendencies might create small differences between wild wolfbloods and tame wolfbloods, none of those really matter. All that matters is that you and Rhydian truly care for each other, love each other, stand by each other—and that your wolves do too. You've been through more than most couples twice your age, and yet you are still as strong together as ever. I'm sorry that I ever doubted you two, and that's also the honest truth." Ceri sighed. "Now I think I'll shut my mouth while I'm ahead."

"Hear, hear," Gerwyn said, grinning as Ceri shot him a dirty look.

Just then creaking floorboards in the hallway gave all four wolfbloods enough warning to turn towards the doorway. In walked Jeffries.

"My apologies for disturbing you," Jeffries said in his typically formal way. "I was pleased to hear that you are on the way to a full recovery, Mr. Morris." Gerwyn nodded, keeping a straight face. Jeffries' gaze slid to Maddy. "Do you mind if I borrow Maddy for a few minutes?"

Maddy's eyebrows scrunched. _Now what? First the healer wants to talk to me. Now Jeffries? This better not be about what Rhydian and his parents were just discussing. Ugh! Aren't I just Ms. Popular today?_

Maddy followed Jeffries to the front of the house. He sat on the sofa in the family room and patted the leather cushion beside him. The sun had gone down almost completely. Dusk threw deep shadows across the room. The head teacher leaned forward, turning on the table lamp. The lamp threw a golden sheen across the space like a comfy blanket. Maddy relaxed. She sat down beside him.

"You wanted to talk to me about something? Look, if it's about me and Rhydian earlier—"

"I know it's hard to believe, Maddy Smith, but I have more pressing things on my mind than the love life of a certain teenage wolfblood couple…" Maddy gave him a startled look. Jeffries' humor and wit still surprised her. It wasn't that she didn't know he had it. Sometimes he brought it out when she least expected it.

"Besides," Jeffries said, folding his arms across his chest, "I expect Rhydian's mother dealt with the matter. She and I had a nice little chat. She did talk to you about it, did she not?"

 _Um, I guess…sort of?_ Maddy nodded quickly. _There's one bullet dodged._ Maddy had to suppress a great, big grin.

"Now, earlier today I spoke with Damian's mother. You and I have some decisions to make and—"

Maddy's attention flew elsewhere as a car pulled up along the curb out front. A silver Mercedes. Her wolf bristled the second she saw who got out—Elizabeth Heartwick, Damian, Kyle, and Steph. The last two made her wolf see in only one color—red. As the four began starting up the front walk Maddy burst out the front door. Jeffries rushed up right behind her.

"Maddy, wait!" the history teacher couldn't catch her as she rushed down the walk to confront the unwelcome wolfbloods.

Elizabeth Heartwick stopped as she saw Maddy coming. Maddy's wolf surged, gnashing its teeth. She was veining up.

"You have real nerve bringing them here," Maddy growled, her eyes darting to Steph and Kyle.

Mrs. Heartwick met her with a steady stare. "I've been tending them these past few weeks. They are no longer a threat to anyone, Maddy. When we heard that Gerwyn was ill, we came to pay our respects and bring him some food." Mrs. Heartwick raised the basket she had in her hands. "Please, cub, just let us pass." It was customary among wolfbloods to visit a sick wolfblood neighbor. Even packs disgruntled with each other followed it as a rule…but none of that mattered to Maddy. She just remembered those two wolfbloods nearly killing Jeffries. She remembered their scent on her Dad before they fled from Pacific Rim Park. Her wolf didn't care that they were _'better'_ now. Her wolf saw only danger and regarded Gerwyn as one of her pack. And it would be over Maddy's dead body that they would pass and get close to the most vulnerable member of her pack…

Maddy transformed. Her lips curled back to reveal fangs sharper than knives as she stalked forward, growling.

Elizabeth put herself between Maddy and her children. She managed to stay human, her eyes catching a tint of yellow. "Control yourself!" she cried.

Jeffries was suddenly there right in front of Maddy. He put his hands out. "Maddy, stop this! They aren't going to harm anyone."

 _But they've already harmed too many people already!_ Maddy's wolf snarled viciously inside her head. It was too much, Damian's siblings presumptuously coming to call upon one of her sick pack-mates. The alpha in Maddy wouldn't stand for it, couldn't allow it. She had to protect Gerwyn from these two unstable wolfbloods. They weren't to be trusted. They were still the enemy.

Maddy's lupine instincts took over. She lunged forward, snapping her teeth, expecting the puny human to fling himself out of the way. Instead, just the opposite—Jeffries held his ground. Maddy's overwhelmed human side had time to be horrified in the few heartbeats before her wolf's jaws closed around Jeffries' arm. Her fangs easily punctured the soft flesh. She felt Jeffries shudder as she bit him—chomping down _hard_. Just as fast a wave of guilt crushed her like a tidal wave. She backed up, the coppery tang of blood filling her mouth. Her wolf whined before she changed back into her human self. She stood there in shock, staring at Jeffries, who was equally shocked as he stared at his bleeding arm and the blood which was seeping all over the ground.

 _What…have I done?_ Maddy was vaguely aware of Ceri and Rhydian's panicked voices as they sprinted down the front walk.

"Get the healer!" Rhydian yelled to Ceri. Ceri vanished like a gust of wind and came back soon after with Denarus. Jeffries had fainted by then and Maddy had already rushed to his side, cradling his head as Rhydian tried to wrap up the wound and staunch the bleeding.

"Jeffries…" Maddy didn't know what else to say. Tears flooded down her face. Her heart felt like someone had ripped it out and then mangled it until nothing was left but the tiniest pieces. _I did this. YOU did this, Mads. You hurt the very person you were supposed to protect. One of the humans in your pack. The human who took you in when no one else could…_

A fresh wave of guilt pulled her under. She was numb when Denarus knelt beside her and began to work in earnest on Jeffries' arm. Ceri gently pulled her away. Maddy let her…still numb except for the burning hole where her chest had been. She watched as Rhydian helped the healer do what needed to be done. The healer had his pack out, efficiently applying a salve that quickly clotted the wound and kept the unconscious teacher from losing any more blood than he already had.

Ceri's voice boomed like an alpha enraged, a cold fury that hit like the swing of an ice pick.

"I think you should leave." At first Maddy thought she was talking to her, but she wasn't. Maddy didn't even notice the hurt look on Damian's face as he and his family turned to go. She was too lost in replaying in her mind what she had done, what her wolf had driven her to do.

 _I thought…I was getting better, wasn't I?_ She hadn't realized that the pain was still clinging on, able to resurrect itself like this—able to control her. The pain of losing her parents, it had started to fade, hadn't it? She had started to move forward with her life…she truly had. Ceri and Gerwyn were already starting to feel genuinely like family. Jeffries too, crazy as it seemed. But this wasn't what a responsible alpha did—injuring members of her own pack! Maddy felt awful, beside herself with shame.

Tears kept coming, streaming down her face. Maddy rushed out through the back door and into the woods. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the vastness of the wilderness. To go where no one knew of her past, where her guilt could somehow seep away into the trees and she could lose herself in the scents, sounds, and colors of a Nature indifferent to her troubles. Something stopped her, the practical Maddy still peeking out. So instead she settled for collapsing onto her knees. She just cried, hugging herself tight as she hated herself for what she'd done.

Minutes passed. It couldn't have been much longer than that. She felt a presence…surprised that it wasn't Rhydian.

 _Jana._

The redheaded wolfblood knelt beside her. "Maddy. Rhydian's looking for you."

"Where did…you come from?" Maddy choked out between sobs.

"I came to see how Gerwyn was doing when I heard he collapsed." An awkward pause. "I heard what happened. Jeffries is going to be all right, Maddy." Maddy's glistening eyes shifted to meet Jana's gaze, to make sure she wasn't lying. Jana's kind face reminded Maddy that Jana was all the things she felt she was not—strong, steadfast, reliable. Sometimes Maddy envied Jana. There was a certainty to the wolfblood girl that Maddy sometimes lacked. Even at her best, Maddy felt like an alpha walking on eggshells. She was strong and protective of her pack, but she also felt the pressure of trying to care about everyone in the pack and balance out the competing needs. Jana just seemed to sense those needs more effortlessly, as if having Alric for a father, a strong pack alpha in his own right, had transferred those leadership instincts to his daughter by virtue of genetics alone.

"Come on, Mads. Let's see if we can stand up, shall we?" Jana took Maddy and helped lift her up onto her feet. On wobbly legs, the petite girl sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. Fresh tears came, damn it. She gave up and collapsed against Jana, who quickly braced her legs with a grunt to keep them both from falling over.

"I bit him, Jana. I bit Jeffries! Who's been only kind and good to me!" Maddy sobbed. "I should never have lost control like that. It's so unlike me…it's like I wasn't' even the same person I used to be…" Maddy couldn't say more, she was just too distraught to stay coherent as the shame, guilt and regret slammed into her like the most devastating trifecta.

Jana began stroking her hair, just keeping her arms wrapped around Maddy.

Suddenly a new scent came on the wind—not that Maddy could smell it, with her nose clogged from crying.

"Good timing. You got her?" Jana asked. Then Maddy felt Rhydian's arms around her as he tucked her head beneath his chin. His warmth enveloped her, his scent wrapped around her like a second invisible hug that calmed her warring emotions, just stilled her anguish.

"Maddy, come inside," Rhydian whispered. "Come on, now. You're strong. You can do it. Jeffries is inside and he wants to speak with you."

Maddy found the strength to look up at Rhydian; it took all the strength she had left. "No, Rhydian. I can't…" She shook her head. "I can't face him right now, after what I did."

Rhydian gave her a steady, unrelenting look. "Too bad. Jeffries is asking for you. He's concerned about you. He's worried sick, in fact. So you better suck it up and come with me." _I just bit him and he's concerned about me?_ Maddy was floored. Rhydian slipped an arm around Maddy's waist and gently nudged her forward alongside him. "Mads, I'll be right beside you every step of the way. Damian's family is gone. Your pack is safe, all right?"

Maddy didn't know whether to be reassured or upset by Rhydian's words. The fact that he was trying to appeal to her wolf now and not just her human side told her that even Rhydian wasn't 100% sure that the wolf wouldn't lose control again. Maddy nodded mechanically, sniffing as she took a few unsteady steps forward.

Was Jeffries really all right? What had he been trying to tell her before all hell broke loose?

 **A/N - Happy Friday, wolfblood fans :) I'll have another update soon. Please review/comment and it'll make this Friday even more awesome than it already is :) Workmen are everywhere today replacing windows, so I may not get any more writing done until later this weekend.**


	17. A Tornado Comes to Stoneybridge

**Chapter 17 - A Tornado Comes to Stoneybridge**

Jeffries came down the stairs with a yawn, smartly dressed with briefcase in hand. Glancing out the window, he saw weather to reflect his mood. Or, more like, his state of being, which was half-asleep. The sun struggled to poke through the dense cover of English clouds draped across the iron-gray sky.

Delicious smells and freshly brewed coffee enticed him into the kitchen, where Maddy was just placing slices of ham, buttered rolls, and scrambled eggs with chives on a pair of plates.

Jeffries sat down without a word. _How long is she going to keep this up?_ Jeffries knew Maddy well enough by now to understand that the wolfblood girl was NOT a morning person.

"Good morning," Maddy said softly.

Jeffries needed to leave early for his meeting, and today Maddy would walk to school with Rhydian. He saw her rucksack propped near the door, a weathered old book peeking out of the top. She seemed to go everywhere with that book lately. _I wonder where she got it from?_

"Good morning, Maddy." The history teacher winced as he brushed his forearm against the edge of the table. He saw Maddy's eyes tighten with guilt. It had been eleven days since she'd bitten him. Ever since the incident, she'd started to act a bit differently. Every morning since the incident, she'd made him breakfast. Every morning since then, she'd even made his sandwiches for lunches. Jeffries would have been embarrassed to admit it—he let her, and partly because, well, Maddy knew how to proportion the meats, cheeses, and other trimmings to absolute perfection. Jeffries, for all his intellect and scholarly smarts, had the knack for failing some of the basic skills in life.

 _One of the many failings my mother never lets me forget._ Jeffries let the random thought fade away.

He and Maddy ate in silence for a minute. She was quieter lately, more thoughtful. He wasn't sure he liked this new Maddy…but it had been a rough week, so he didn't pry more than he had to. Of course, Jeffries being Jeffries, he _did_ have to pry somewhat, and for good reason.

"You'll go see the therapist today during your free form after lunch, correct?"

Maddy nodded. He knew she hated the idea. After what had happened at Ceri and Gerywn's, though, Maddy hadn't argued. It was just once a week and this would be her first time.

Still… "Do I have to go?" she said in a small voice.

"You'll like her, Maddy. Gail McPhee and I went to university together. She's a kind woman. I don't know what kind of stereotype you have wound up in that head of yours, but she's no feminine version of Sigmund Freud, coldly analyzing you from afar. She cares about the students, just like I do. You can trust her."

Maddy smirked and rolled her eyes. "Trust her? Well obviously, not completely," she said.

Jeffries sighed with a rueful grin. "Okay, fair enough, let me rephrase. You can trust her about all things not explicitly _wolfblood_." It was a tricky balance…and they both knew it. Maddy would have to talk with the therapist in general terms, leaving out the wolfblood details that affected her life. If it had been any other human therapist, _anyone_ other than Gail, Jeffries would not have been willing to take the risk.

But he knew Gail McPhee. She wouldn't force Maddy to confess anything the girl didn't want to. They would work together on the survivor's guilt Maddy still had, her living on from the crash while her parents had died. It was a universal trauma that Gail could help Maddy with regardless of whether she was human or wolfblood.

Maddy finished off her rolls and started to attack the scrambled eggs on her plate. "Jeffries…has Ceri gotten back to you yet?"

"Not yet, but I promise, we'll find you a proper wolfblood elder you can talk to once a week. This arrangement with Mrs. McPhee will just be temporary." _Unless you decide otherwise._ Jeffries had to stop himself from grinning. He had a feeling that Maddy would be surprised how easy it was to be around Gail McPhee. She had this way of putting people at ease. If Maddy gave the woman a chance, who knew…she might actually begin to _look forward_ to her weekly sessions with her.

Of course the head teacher knew better than to even _suggest_ such a possibility to the teenage girl sitting across the table.

Jeffries' mobile buzzed. He picked it up and answered without thinking.

"Hello?"

Meanwhile the slender wolfblood girl finished her breakfast, bused her dishes to the sink. She turned around and watched with growing interest.

Dismay crowded out every other feature on Jeffries' face…until it looked like he wanted to jump through the nearest window. He left the room, whispering furiously. A short time later he came back. With trembling hands and a full-body shudder of horror, Jeffries put down his phone and put his head in his hands.

"What is it?" Maddy cried.

Jeffries' groan was the groan of a dying man. "Lady Irene."

"Umm…who's that?"

Jeffries bleakly met Maddy's stare. "My mother. She will be coming to visit for a few days. Starting tomorrow."

Maddy couldn't help it. Seeing the horror on Jeffries' face, she burst out laughing.

 **Twenty Minutes Later…**

As Jeffries prepared for his meeting at the office, he couldn't help but cringe, remembering the conversation with his mother.

 _"Lana Sedgeforth tells me you've taken in one of your students. A girl who lost both of her parents. Is this true?"_

 _Jeffries cursed inwardly. His mother still had way too many old friends in Stoneybridge. Whenever his mother could muster up the interest to check up on her 'disappointment of a son,' the rumor mill never failed to be fruitful for her._

 _"Yes, Mother. You have heard correctly. Look, I need to get going to school. I really don't have time to—"_

 _"Tim, I'm so proud of you." Jeffries stopped and nearly choked on his own tongue._

 _"Mother, are you feeling all right?"_

 _"No, I mean it, Tim. Taking in a girl who just lost her family. I always knew you had it in you. Your father, if he were still here…" Irene's voice caught before she rushed on. "That decides it, then. I'm coming for a visit."_

 _"I really don't think that's necessary—"_

 _"Nonsense," Irene piped up. "I want to meet this girl. What's her name? Maddy, isn't it? I want to meet this girl that's apparently inspired my son to do something very noble with his life and get outside of his comfort zone for once! Plus, who knows, you may need my help. What do you know about teenage girls?" Irene made a humph-like sound. "Your knowledge of the finer sex has never been spectacular, Tim, even when you were at that prime age…always with a nose in your books. Face it, you need me. So, let's see. Hmm. I should be able to drive down tomorrow."_

 _Tomorrow? Tomorrow!? "Really, with only the one guest bedroom, I couldn't put you up. It's Maddy's room now. Why don't we look at next month's calendar and see—"_

 _"Pig droppings and hogwash, that's what excuses are good for, Tim. I've taught you better than that. I'm sure you'll think of something. In the meantime, I'll email you my arrival time as soon as I've made arrangements. Well, I should let you go then. Goodbye."_

Tim shook his head as he organized the papers for the school administrators' meeting. Maddy had no idea about the whirlwind of a woman who was about to descend on them. When Maddy had laughed at him after he'd hung up the phone, she'd asked him, 'What's your mum like?'

And Jeffries had replied with the only thing that could remotely convey the truth.

 _"Imagine a human tornado with fashion sense and very strong opinions. This is my mother."_ And now, somehow, he would have to entertain Irene and help keep Maddy's secret safe, all while having the nosiest, most opinionated woman in the world and a vulnerable wolfblood girl sleeping under the same roof!

'Nightmare' did not even begin to describe it. Pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut, Jeffries did the only thing he could.

He prayed.

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood fans :) I hope you liked this chapter going into uncharted territory. The show obviously never had time to go into any detail with Jeffries' family. I decided to make up for that because I've always identified with Jeffries as a man under different types of pressure. In the show he has to be this serious, upstanding head teacher - but there are softer moments, like where he encourages Jana to go to the disco dance and gives her free tickets - and these little moments reveal how Jeffries is sort of this big softy inside.**

 **So it made me think, what kind of parents did Jeffries have, to make him this contradiction of hardness and softness? So I hope you guys don't mind that I'm bringing his family into the mix :) Don't worry, the next chapter will have plenty of Rhydian and Jana. I actually have the rest of the story planned out, so I can promise you it will get finished properly :)**

 **All right, that's all for now. Please review/comment, give me your thoughts - it's like a shot in the arm of inspiration whenever you guys leave a comment ;)**


	18. Jana and The Book, Part 1 of 2

**Chapter 18 - Jana and The Book, Part 1 of 2**

Rhydian and Jana exchanged a knowing look at their table in the canteen at Bradlington High.

"Are you sure you don't want to?" Rhydian asked Maddy.

Jana pitched in. "When's the last time you've run free, Mads?"

It was the lunch hour. Rhydian, Jana, Maddy, Shan, and Tom were all sitting together like the unofficial pack they were. Rhydian had pulled Maddy onto his lap despite her protests, and now Maddy let his arm curl around her waist as he enjoyed the scent of her hair.

Maddy shrugged. "Sorry, guys. I just don't feel like it." She swiveled to look at Rhydian. "But you go ahead with Jana. You two can have fun letting loose without me. Scratch that itch your wolves need scratching."

"You sure?" Rhydian said, desperate.

"Absolutely. Go on." Maddy shifted off of Rhydian's lap as Rhydian got up with a sigh and followed Jana outside towards the football fields. They ran for maybe 20 minutes top speed through the woods, dappled sunlight flashing in their eyes as their wolves bubbled to the surface. Happy and free—their wolfy selves could feel gratitude going 'on the hunt' even if all they were hunting was the primal feel of the trees rushing by as they leapt and laughed and tussled.

At last, their wolves content enough, Jana and Rhydian sat beside each other against a fallen log, panting, happily spent.

Jana was the first to broach what was on their minds.

"Rhydian, we've got to do something about Maddy."

"I know."

Jana brushed a few tangles of woodsy bits from her curly red hair. "She never runs with us anymore. She hasn't really had a healthy wolfing out since…who knows? Probably when she was in Canada with her parents."

"You're worried that she hates her wolf?" Rhydian said.

Jana bit her lip, her eyes going distant in thought. "Hate might be too strong a word…but don't you see where this is headed? Ever since biting Jeffries, it's like she's determined to pretend her wolf doesn't even exist. She never runs with us. She hasn't said a peep about the upcoming Full Moon. It's six days away and we've been trying to convince Jeffries to take us somewhere away from it all where we can run as a pack—yet she always changes the subject whenever we bring it up!"

Rhydian rubbed the back of his neck and looked down, brooding at a possibility he didn't fancy.

"If she keeps this up…denying her wolf…"

"She'll go Morwal. Rhydian, that's what I'm the most worried about."

 _Morwal._ It was what they called it when someone's wolf became bitter and aggressive after a terrible trauma. It could also happen if a person began to despise their wolf, to reject that part of themselves.

"If you think about it," Rhydian mused, "it's a miracle Maddy didn't go Morwal after her parents died in the accident."

Jana surged to her feet, pacing as leaves crunched underfoot. "I know. It just speaks to how strong and resilient she is. Can you imagine? Trekking through days and days' worth of wilderness and eventually finding her way all the way back to Stoneybridge? The willpower that must have taken, to do it while dealing with the grief of who she lost. I don't think I would have had the strength. I would have gone Morwal for sure."

Rhydian stood up now too, grinning at Jana as he shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just—Maddy and I were talking yesterday…. She was telling me that she thinks you're the stronger alpha. She thinks you're always so sure about what you want, about juggling competing problems and knowing what needs to be done…whereas sometimes she feels paralyzed."

Jana blushed at the compliment. She looked away. "That's not true. I have doubts. Lots of doubts. I don't always know what to do."

Rhydian came up and took her by the hand, brushing his thumb across her knuckles in a comforting touch. "I know. You and Maddy are more alike than you two realize." It came back, Rhydian's smug, infectious smile. "Maybe that's why I get along so well with both of you."

Jana rolled her eyes at him. "Well, whatever you and Maddy have between you, it goes a good bit beyond 'getting along well.' I saw you two making out on the way home yesterday like you were going to rub each other's faces off." She shoved him in the shoulder as she teased away and Rhydian laughed.

"Okay, you have me there. What Maddy and I have is different." He peered at her though, concern showing through. "But from what I've heard through my, uh, unofficial sources…is there's a certain wolfblood who has _your_ eye." Rhydian's blue eyes were sparkling now like sunlit snow as Jana blushed a shade of red neither of them knew existed.

"Ceri really should keep her mouth shut," Jana mumbled.

"Uh-huh," Rhydian said, his smile growing. "Keep her mouth shut about _what_? I heard your dad's pack took in a brother and sister, survivors from a nasty fire. Does the name Matei ring any bells?"

Judging from the way Jana's heartbeat sped up at the very mention of his name, it most certainly did.

"I thought we were talking about Maddy," Jana grumbled, walking away through the trees back towards school. Rhydian caught up with her.

"Something else on your mind?" Rhydian asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Jana stopped, scratching her head. "Maddy's been late to our form right after lunch every day this week. If it were anyone else, Ms. Spritz would have bitten their head off… Any theories on that? It's not like Mads to be late."

Rhydian shrugged. "I don't know. She's been carrying around an old book that looks ready to fall apart, poking around in it between classes. I've been meaning to ask her about it. It's just, I've been trying to give her…I don't know, her space."

Jana rolled her eyes. "Sometimes that's the last thing a person needs, especially someone dealing with as much as Maddy is…"

The blue-eyed wolfblood had to nod his agreement. "So you heard, then? About Damian?"

Jana's green eyes lit up like orbs of flame. "I most certainly did. Damian's mum…UGH! I just want to smack her and carry her around by the scruff of the neck. How could she forbid Damian to see Maddy?" All worked up, Jana started ticking off a list with the fingers of one hand. "First of all, the incident with Jeffries was _Elizabeth's fault_ , not Maddy's. Who does that? Just shows up unannounced when she bloody well knew her two cubs had attacked Maddy twice and nearly killed Jeffries."

Rhydian shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's not like she _knew_ Mads and Jeffries would be at my parents' house…"

"Well she should have!" Jana replied, eyes flashing. "She knew Ceri and Gerwyn were in Maddy's territory and therefore of her pack. Damian's mum is either a totally incompetent alpha OR she just doesn't care about the consequences of her actions. Either way, she's bad news. I hate to say it, but Maddy may be better off without Damian given the family baggage he comes with. Why are you defending Damian's mum anyway?"

Rhydian backed up, hands in the air. "I'm not. I just want to see Maddy's relationship with Damian salvaged, it if can be done. I know it's a longshot."

The two wolfbloods whirled about.

"Wait. Do you smell that?" Jana sniffed, peering through the shadows underneath a thick canopy of aspens. Rhydian took a deep inhale of scent.

"It's Maddy," he whispered. "She can't be far."

"You think she changed her mind and decided to come run with us?" Jana whispered back. Together they began to follow her scent. Rhydian wasn't sure why they were being so quiet…he just followed Jana's lead. The redhead crept through the undergrowth until they reached a small clearing with a cluster of big rocks. Maddy's scent grew stronger, and they quickly saw why.

Sitting Indian-style on one of the rocks, an ancient-looking book opened up on her lap, there she was. Maddy. Her eyes were roving wildly underneath her closed eyelids. Her whole body was clenched tight. She looked as if she were in some mystic trance—only not a peaceful one. Sweat trickled down her face. Was the space just around her ten degrees warmer than everywhere else? That's what it looked like. Rhydian and Jana exchanged alarmed glances, both thinking the same thing. _Let's shake her out of it._

Jana gently picked up the book, leafing through it. Rhydian shook Maddy. When it didn't wake her, he shook her harder. Jana tried to help him, but still she stayed in her bizarre trance-like state.

"Rhydian, what are we going to do?"

Suddenly a determined look stole over Rhydian's face. "I've got this." Leaning over, he pressed his lips to Maddy's, gently stroking the side of her face.

"Mads…wake up."

Maddy jolted awake, her eyes darting wildly in all directions as she heaved, her breathing ragged.

"I could hear them. I could hear their voices!" she burst out. Her hand went to her chest. Rhydian frowned. Her heart must have been pounding as if she'd run two marathons. What in the world was happening here?

"Whose voices?" Rhydian asked.

Tears of joy glistened in Maddy's eyes. "My parents… I could hear their voices. It felt like they were standing right beside me."

Rhydian started to smile…until he saw Jana's face crumble.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Jana held the book at arms' length like it was a giant spider. "Where did you get this book, Mads?"

"Hey, it's none of your business. Give it back!" Maddy leapt up from the rock, but Rhydian snagged her around the waist and held her back.

"Whoa there, Mads. Can you please just answer Jana's question?"

Maddy's expression turned dangerous. "Fine, you want to be all nosy about it? The healer who tended Gerwyn gave it to me as a present. Denarus. Now give it back."

Instead of doing as the brown-haired wolfblood girl asked, Jana took another step back. "Did he tell you what it was for?"

Rhydian watched the tension ramping up between the two alphas. He had a feeling this might not end well. He tightened his grip around Maddy's waist and slipped his other arm across her shoulders.

"Yes. It teaches you how to use Menolith."

Rhydian frowned. _Menolith?_

Seeing his confusion, Jana explained. "That's the ancestor bond. It's sacred…a wolfblood birthright. But it's not something to be _used_ , Maddy."

Now it was Maddy's turn to frown. "What are you on about, Jana? Just give me back my book!"

The redhead stubbornly held onto the book, pulling it behind her back when Maddy tried to snatch it. "No. Listen to me! Menolith is the sacred connection that wolfbloods have to their ancestors. Wild wolfbloods honor it in their rituals, we believe it exists. Long ago, long before humans had cars, many of the more powerful wolfblood healers believed that Menolith could be a great tool for healing. It was like eolas, or so they thought. They found that people, if they concentrated and brought up really potent memories of those they loved in the right order, that they could make a connection."

Maddy nodded with hope shining in her eyes. "Exactly. That's what I've been trying to do. To communicate with my parents. It's starting to work—"

"Wait!" Jana begged. "Will you please just listen?" She swept strands of hair from her face as panic shone in her eyes. "This was over 300 years ago that all this happened. When a wolfblood died, the healers would lend out the knowledge guarded in their books, describing exactly how one could create the connection. But what they didn't start to see until later…was the cost. At first it was just a few…then more and more…"

Jana shivered. "Do you remember what happened to you after you first learned about eolas, Mads?"

Maddy gave her a vexing look. "What do you know about it? It's not like you were there."

"But Rhydian told me about it, Maddy. He told me how addicted you were." Jana shook the book in her fist for emphasis. "Well, THIS is a thousand times worse. What the healers found, long ago, was that for every person who was able to contact their lost ancestor through the power of the ancestor bond, five more would become addicted to it…They would sit in a trance...forget to eat, to sleep…and eventually…"

Jana's eyes went bleak, like a harsh winter. Rhydian stiffened as Jana's words hit home.

"Eventually it was all they cared about," Jana murmured. "So many had to die before the healers were willing to recognize their mistake. Finally, word spread through all the packs, both tame and wild, that using Menolith was dangerous. _Too_ dangerous."

"So then why did Denarus give it to her?" Rhydian growled angrily. "If what you're saying is true…?"

Jana's troubled stare didn't waver. "My father's told me that some healers insist on the 'old ways.' They see death as just part of the cycle of life—and I guess if you look at it that way, wolfbloods dying in search of connecting to their lost loved ones is just another risk in the cycle of life." Jana looked fiercely at Maddy. "That's not how I see it, though, and it's not how most wolfbloods see it! Using Menolith is like the most potent, dangerous drug a wolfblood can ever experiment with. It's stronger than eolas because of the promise it offers, and it's more devastating too…" Jana took a deep breath and tried not to flinch from the ferocious anger on Maddy's face.

"Maddy, I'd like you to let Rhydian and me hold onto this book for safekeeping, until you have a chance to talk to Rhydian's parents about Menolith. If you don't believe me, fine, speak to them, hear what they have to say. But you need to talk to someone else about this. Promise us you won't try to use it until you talk to someone more knowledgeable."

Maddy's wolf bristled. She jerked herself out of Rhydian's grip and practically snarled.

"Give. Me. My. Book."

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood sisters and brothers. Part 2 of this will be up soon. I saw the request to include a flashback of how Rhydian comforted Mads after she had bitten Jeffries. I'll be including that in the next chapter (and for a very special reason, as you'll see). More Maddian and some revelations too :) Please review, it makes all the difference.**


	19. Jana and The Book, Part 2 of 2

**Chapter 19 - Jana and The Book, Part 2 of 2**

Maddy looked as ferocious as any wolf. "Give. Me. My. Book."

Jana held firm. She looked at Rhydian, quietly asking. _Help me. This has to be done._

Rhydian wavered. Was Jana right? There was no reason for her to lie.

"You just want the book for yourself!" Maddy shouted. "Now give it back!" The look in Maddy's eyes, fixated on the book in Jana's hand—it told Rhydian that Jana's worst fears might be true. He could understand Maddy being upset with them…but this reaction, way over the top? This wasn't Mads. He just felt it in his bones.

Rhydian nodded silently, catching Jana's eye. Suddenly the redhead turned and sprinted into the woods with the book. Maddy screamed in outrage and prepared to leap after her. Rhydian collided with Maddy from behind, twisting around as he cushioned their fall. He wrapped his arms so tightly around the slender brunette, pinning her arms to her sides—keeping her from getting away as he lay on his back with the girl on top of him. She was struggling madly. She squirmed until she'd turned around to face Rhydian.

"Let me go! Stop it!" She started shouting at him, but the more she shouted, the more he tightened his grip. It wasn't easy. He was terrified that she'd squirm free and go tearing off after Jana—until he had two alpha she-wolves battling it out right in front of their schoolmates. Maybe that's what gave him the strength to hold Maddy to him. She kicked and bucked. He winced as pain ricocheted up his left thigh.

 _If she knees me between the legs, I'm done for…_

It was scary, seeing how even with just a week of poring through that strange book, it seemed to already have Mads under its spell. The addictive look in her glazed eyes—it frightened Rhydian to the core. He did the only thing he could. He reminded her of who she was, of who he was, of who _they_ _were_ together.

"Mads, this isn't you. I'm here to help you. I love you, Maddy. Remember when you bit Jeffries and you were out of control? That's what you are right now, and it's really scaring me. Please snap out of it, Mads. Please!"

Maddy suddenly felt a flash of memory. She remembered sobbing as Rhydian sat her down in front of Jeffries, his arm freshly bandaged with the tang of blood still thick in the air. She remembered the horror of it, one thought pounding in her head over and over and over— _I bit him._ She remembered not even being able to look Jeffries in the face as the head teacher told her that it was all right…no lasting harm done. Maddy most of all remembered Rhydian—cradling her in his arms as she turned away and wept. His hands stroking her hair with perfect movements as his lips found hers. Her tears had wetted his cheeks as he kept kissing her, but Rhydian hadn't cared. He'd just kept kissing her and holding her. Stroking her until she'd relaxed completely in his arms, until her breathing and his matched like the pairing of the sun and the moon.

As he'd drawn away reluctantly from their kiss, Rhydian had said something that just now flew up in her mind, snapping her away from her intense obsession with the book.

 _"Maddy, Jeffries forgives you. So do I. We love you, Mads. Don't carry that guilt inside of you. We won't have it. I won't have it_." And as he had said those words, Rhydian had wiped the last vestige of her tears away.

Now, with Rhydian's words surging up in her memory, Maddy's jumbled thoughts refocused.

 _What am I doing? Why am I screaming about this book? Yes, it matters to me…and yes, I want to use it to somehow reach my parents…but why am I feeling rage towards Rhydian and Jana?_ She should have felt irritated, but the feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach was absolute rage—as if Rhydian and Jana were enemies who had stolen something infinitely precious. Maddy realized that something was terribly wrong. She was acting horribly. She shook her head, forcing the fury in her heart back, dispersing it like a strong, cleansing wind disperses a cloud of smoke.

 _Breathe, Mads. Breathe._ She looked down at Rhydian, who lay underneath her, just terrified. Her heart nearly cracked as she went from struggling madly in his arms to leaning down and kissing him with all the passion she could muster. Her kiss said the things words weren't up to saying. Things like— _Thank you for protecting me, Rhydian, even from myself._

Rhydian's eyes widened as her soft lips explored his. Her intoxicating scent caressed him just as effectively as her lips too. Gradually Rhydian loosened his grip as it became clear it was unnecessary. Maddy's arms wrapped around him as she deepened the kiss. Then she nuzzled him with her nose, murmuring, "Rhydian…are you all right?" She rested the side of her face against his shoulder. He twisted his head sideways so their eyes met.

Relief flowed through Rhydian like water through parched dirt. He saw that the glazed, frantic sheen of an addict had vanished from Maddy's eyes. Instead there was just the calm gaze of the girl he loved.

A slow smile spread over the wolfblood boy's face. "Mads…you're back."

Maddy's fingers fanned out, stroking his chest. She offered a small, embarrassed smile. "I'm back." She sat up and helped Rhydian sit up beside her. She realized her hair was all tangled up from her struggling, so she tried to sort it out. As she was doing that, Rhydian leaned up against her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His hand rubbed up and down her arm in a comforting, mesmerizing motion that soon had the wolfblood girl snuggled up against him.

"What came over me?" Maddy whispered. "Whatever it is…I never want it to happen again."

Rhydian gave her an appraising once-over as she twirled about and sprang to her feet. "We have to make sure that book doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Whatever it is…it's too dangerous."

Rhydian cautiously moved beside her, taking her hand in his. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, still peering into her face to make sure that it was the real Mads talking and not the book-obsessed lunatic he'd seen moments ago.

Maddy shuddered.

"What was in the book exactly?"

Maddy bit her lip. "Instructions on what to picture in your mind, how to picture it…which types of memories work best…the order you have to focus on them..." She shook her head. "Don't ask me anymore, just…look, it makes me want to…" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to. Rhydian nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was rekindle whatever addictive urge she'd just fought off.

"Do you think you're going to be all right? I mean, will the urge come back?" Rhydian said. Maddy looked at him helplessly.

"I hope not. I'll do whatever I can so it doesn't. Just…keep the book away from me. Maybe we can have your parents track down Denarus and find out why he gave it to me. I can't think he'd do this knowingly, aware of how dangerous it really was." Maddy's face clouded over. "Could he?"

Rhydian enfolded her in his arms. "We'll figure this out, Mads. Together. All right?"

Mads nodded, tears in her eyes even as she smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble. You think Jana's okay? She's probably furious with me."

Rhydian shook his head and cupped Maddy's face. "Stop saying stuff like that! Look, you were the one who fought off the urge. I just held you down long enough to give you a chance, but _you_ did the heavy lifting. You snapped out of it, Mads. I didn't save you. You saved yourself."

"With your help," Maddy shot back. "We need to make sure that book doesn't end up in the wrong hands. _Maybe any hands._ Maddy wondered if the wisest thing wouldn't be to just burn it. And though there was still that tiny part of her soul that insisted— _What if? What if the book was working? What if you could have handled its pull and still been able to talk to your parents among the ancestors?_ —she ruthlessly tore up the thought because the truth was simple: she never, ever wanted to see that look of complete terror on Rhydian's face, knowing she was the cause of it. Never again.

Maddy's graceful fingers slid down Rhydian's cheek, caressing his jaw as she leaned up on her tiptoes. Her lips hovered so close to his. "Let's go find Jana…but first…shut up and kiss me again." With the dappled sunlight sprinkled on their faces, the two wolfbloods did just that.

 **Back at Bradlington High…** ****

The pack had hunkered down in the darkroom where they wouldn't be disturbed. Time was short. The lunch break had less than ten minutes left. Jana stood in the corner, eyeing Maddy warily.

"You're sure you're all right?"

Maddy groaned. "When will people stop asking me that?" She'd let Rhydian pull her onto his lap on the couch. He was nuzzling the back of her neck, calming her with his touch. She melted in his arms, which was good, because if Shan and Tom and Jana asked her if she was 'all right' one more time she was likely to scream.

"Look, instead of asking me that a trillion times, let's form a plan, yeah?" The rest of the pack zeroed in on Maddy as she took charge.

"For the next day or so, don't let me out of your sight. Jana, take the book straightaway to someone you trust. Rhydian's parents…or wherever. Don't tell me who you're taking it to. Just do it. Make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else. We can figure out what Denarus knew or didn't know later, that's a separate issue."

The other wolfbloods and the two humans were nodding. "Okay…" Jana said. Her eyes sparked with understanding. "So, the only tricky part…what about at night? Who's going to keep watch over you tonight to make sure you don't get the urge to hunt down the book and use it?"

Rhydian raised his hand with a beatific smile on his face. "I think I can handle that." Maddy smacked his arm as Jana threw the wolfblood boy a withering look.

"Yeah," Jana snorted. "I'm sure the Vaughns would _love_ that. And I'm sure that after Jeffries caught you and Maddy nearly doing it in her bedroom, he'll be a huge fan of the idea." Shan and Tom were snickering in the background as Jana prepared to continue.

"Better idea," Maddy interrupted. "Jana, how do you feel about a sleepover tonight?"

Jana grinned. "Girls' night at your place? You think you can get Jeffries to go for it?"

Maddy nodded eagerly. "Once I tell him about the book, he'll have no choice but to agree, right? Besides, it's a great excuse to stay up late and watch movies—"

"Until we can't see straight? I'm in," Jana said with a smirk. Then her smile wavered. "Does this mean we have to sleep in the same bed? I'll have to keep a close eye on you to make sure you don't go book-crazy and try to go searching for it."

"I know. It's probably best if we do." Stone-faced, Maddy added, "I'm afraid I snore. Loudly."

When Jana paled, Maddy's mischievous grin came to life. "Just kidding!"

A few minutes later, the pack had their plan in place. They would take shifts watching Maddy for the next two days. It would be temporary, just until Rhydian's parents could get the book as far away from Maddy and Stoneybridge as possible, and verify that she was no longer in danger of being influenced by it.

As the five split up to go to their lockers, Jana found Maddy's hand clasping hers, pulling her back.

"Jana." The redheaded wolfblood turned around just as Maddy gave her a kiss on the cheek. There were tears of gratitude in the wolfblood girl's eyes. "Thank you for being a true friend. I know it wasn't easy."

The redhead bit her lip as her tears brimmed too. "Maddy, that's what pack-mates do. We watch each other's backs. You would do the same for me. You already have. You accepted me when I came to Stoneybridge, even though I was a wild wolfblood and a complete mess who put you and your friends in danger. I'll never be able to make it up to you."

"I think you just did," Maddy said softly. The two girls hugged each other tight, ignoring a few looks from students passing by.

 **A/N - I hope you guys enjoyed these last two chapters in particular, I always hate breaking up a section into 2 parts, but for this section of the story it just seemed to work. One of the things that I love about Maddy (and about most of the characters in WB!) is that they are vulnerable, but they aren't weak. Despite all the things Maddy is having to go through, she still responds to the challenges. She doesn't just sit there passively being miserable. She works to change her situation, even when it's extra hard, and so does the rest of her pack.**

 **That's what I love about Wolfblood - it's about pack dynamics and working together to solve problems. Hopefully this story is reflecting that same dynamic :) I'm just thankful that I get to share my passion with all of you. Thanks for the comments so far, the reviews, just all the helpful thoughts and impressions. You guys sometimes spark great ideas I never would have had otherwise :) Again, thank you!**


	20. Old Grudges in the Pack

**A/N – Hey wolfblood fans. I noticed when I uploaded Chapter 19, Part 2 of 2 of Jana and the Book, it posted just fine but the updated date didn't change…So if you haven't read Ch. 19, you might want to make sure you take a look…otherwise this chapter will be confusing ;) OK. Enjoy:**

 **Chapter 20 – Old Grudges in the Pack**

It had been several days since Jana and Rhydian had discovered Maddy's obsession with the book. Now, sitting in his car on a Friday afternoon, Jeffries wanted nothing more than to bang his head against the steering wheel.

Jeffries didn't like it, but Jeffries didn't have to like it. Ceri and Gerwyn could be _very_ persuasive. Rhydian had called his parents and told them all about this infamous "book of Menolith." Ceri and Gerwyn had hurried straightaway to the school and impressed upon Jeffries the seriousness of it. They had quickly sent the book on to Jana's wild pack, led by her father Alric…and Alric had "dealt with" the healer Denarus…whatever _that meant._

Then, somehow, the topic of the upcoming full moon had reared its ugly head…a headache Jeffries dreaded. He hated locking Maddy in the upstairs bathroom and turning on all the fans at the top setting to mask her howls. He'd tried encouraging her to stay in her parents' house, in the old den, the secure underground room which Rhydian and Jana had been using—but she'd begged him not to make her. The memories of happier times with her parents were too deeply etched into the house's very floorboards and stonework. Still too painful for her.

Having Maddy go run with Alric's pack with Rhydian and Jana, it might not have been the _ideal_ solution—just a far cry better than the alternatives. As protective as he wanted to be of Maddy, Jeffries reminded himself that she was still a wolfblood…and some things were still beyond his experience.

"Come on, Maddy! Rhydian, Jana! Daylight waits for neither man nor wolf. We need to be on the move." Jeffries waved his hand through the open window on the driver's side. The three wolfbloods came rushing over with two duffel bags and three rucksacks, lobbing them into the boot and shutting the door.

 _I must be out of my right mind. What am I thinking, having Maddy stay with a wild pack for the full moon, for the entire weekend?_ If Maddy's confession about the book's influence told him anything, though, it was that she needed to focus more on her pack and her relationships with the living, rather than obsessing about the past. Maddy's parents had been good people—the best of people. But Maddy needed to move forward with her life, and if this helped her to achieve that... Jeffries sighed. He'd hike barefoot across a bed of burning coals if he felt it would help her.

Shan and Tom hugged the three wolfbloods goodbye.

"Bring me back some bacon," Tom joked. "Or even better, venison."

Shan made a gagging sound before she gave Maddy, Rhydian, and Jana forceful hugs in quick succession. "Stay out of trouble. I wish I could go with you."

"I know," Jana said. "Imagine all the 'research' you could do on how wild packs function," she teased. The look of longing on Shan's face made everyone laugh.

Once the three wolfbloods had piled into the back of the car, Jeffries shifted into gear. Then they were off.

Maddy sat in the middle between Jana and Rhydian. She was very quiet while Jana and Rhydian chatted and joked. The lull of the car's movement should have put Mads to sleep, but it didn't. She was too anxious. Her cute face was tightened up, all tense.

The ironic thing was that Maddy's misgivings about this weekend were every bit as strong as Jeffries', only for different reasons…

"Mads?" Rhydian nudged her. She snapped herself back to the present.

"What?"

"You're awfully quiet." Maddy shrugged.

"Just nervous."

Jana knew exactly why Maddy was nervous. Maddy was more than just nervous, too.

"Maddy, it'll be fine. You'll feel right at home, like an honorary member of the wild pack. Running with the entire pack, it's going to be so _amazing_. You're going to love it! And I can't wait to introduce you to Matei and Emilia," Jana gushed. Seeing how Maddy was biting her lip, completely unconvinced, Jana slung an arm around Maddy's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Hey, you trust me, right Mads?" Jana asked. Maddy sighed against Jana's shoulder.

"I guess…"

Rhydian and Jana exchanged a look. "Come on, Mads. Don't mope."

"I'm not moping. That's not it at all." Maddy looked up into Jana's eyes. "I trust you. You're one of my best friends. Who I _don't_ trust is Alric. That hasn't changed."

Jana looked hurt, but she understood why Maddy didn't trust her father. A feud between Alric's pack and hers had ended up with Alric viciously going after Rhydian. Alric and Maddy had nearly faced off in battle, alpha against alpha. Only Jana's decision to betray her own father and side with Maddy and Rhydian had shocked Alric enough to back down, preventing the feud from escalating.

Rhydian took Maddy's hand and tried to reassure her. "Maddy, I can promise you, he _has_ _changed_. After you left for Canada, he really did get it together. He's no longer the unstable wild wolfblood he used to be." Rhydian caressed the top of Maddy's hand with his thumb. "Besides, if I can forgive Alric, shouldn't you? I'm the one he tried to kill."

Well-intentioned as Rhydian's words might have been, they were the wrong ones. Wetness threatened in the wolfblood girl's eyes. Maddy looked inconsolable. "I've lost two of the people I care about most. Now the person I DO care about the most is being all cavalier about entering the territory of the alpha that once tried to kill him. And that's supposed to make me feel BETTER?" Maddy asked, her voice going up a good octave.

Jana stiffened…looked away. What could she say?

"Maddy—" Rhydian tried to dig himself out of the chasm he'd dug himself into. Jana interrupted.

"No, she's right." Jana looked away uncomfortably. "There's a history there. It will be up to my father to prove to Maddy that he really has changed." There was a note of hope in Jana's voice. All the same, she didn't dare look into the brunette's eyes.

Meanwhile, Jeffries tried not to listen in on the wolfbloods' conversation. _La la la la la…This is not happening._ The head teacher had never in a million lifetimes expected to be put in a situation like this. He wasn't just out of his depth. He felt like a fish on a sun-baked dune. _God help us. If these three make it through the weekend in one piece…I swear to become a better person. At least my mother postponed her visit. Thank the merciful heavens for small miracles._

Jeffries drove on as the wolfbloods fell into a sullen silence. He tried not to think about the complicated web his life had become. He knew it would only escalate his blood pressure and multiply the worries he already had.

 **A/N Part 2 – Hey Wolfblood sisters and brothers. I hope you liked this chapter, the next one will be longer – showing the meeting between Maddy and Alric, plus Matie and Emilia entering the story in a more meaningful way. I'll reveal Denarus' motivations and fate too… Please share your comments or thoughts or a word of encouragement. You guys are some of the best inspiration any writer could hope for :)**


	21. Ultimate Maddian

**A/N - Well my friends…this chapter has epic Maddian. Maddian like I haven't ever done it before. So I hope you like it :) Please comment, I'd like to know what you think :) Maddy and Rhydian are about to reach a very important milestone in their relationship.**

 **Chapter 21 - Ultimate Maddian**

They prepared to say goodbye to Jeffries after the road petered out. He admonished them to behave themselves in his best head teacher's voice, and they _pretended_ to listen. At the last second Jeffries beckoned Maddy to come back. He pressed an envelope into her hand.

"What's this?"

"Don't open it until you're settled in. It's your belated birthday present. With everything that's been happening…I know we didn't celebrate properly. Everyone in your, uh, 'pack' chipped in. I think you'll like it." Jeffries winked in that way he did when he thought he was being _especially_ clever. Maddy tried not to roll her eyes as she turned back and noticed Rhydian and Jana looking at her intently.

After a hike which would have been strenuous for most humans—though just a pleasant warm-up exercise to any wolfblood—Maddy, Jana, and Rhydian were soon nearing the territory of the wild pack. When it came, it came suddenly—the baying of wolves. Howls of welcome. And then they were bursting through the trees, wolfbloods bounding down the slope to greet them all along the clearing.

Maddy tensed as the alpha of the wild pack came forward. He was a sturdily-built wolfblood who carried the mantle of authority like any true alpha. His bearded face and piercing eyes made him look forbidding. Formidable.

"Father!" Jana cried. He walked towards the three wolfbloods. Jana rushed up and catapulted into his arms. For a moment, the reuniting of father and daughter softened the scene. When Jana drew back and stepped away, a hush descended. You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife—even a butter knife. Maddy and Alric eyed each other. Maddy eyed him with complete suspicion, her wolf threatened, nervous, screaming at her to do one of two things— _run_ or _fight_.

Alric walked closer. Slow, careful steps. He saw how rigidly Maddy stood. He saw how anxious she looked. His hard, grizzled face softened as he knelt before her, his head bowed low…all the way to the earth.

"Dduw bendithia chi," he murmured. His head tipped upward. Unshed tears swam in his eyes as he finally looked at her. "Brave she-wolf. Brave Maddy Smith. I ask for your forgiveness, for the things I've done. I offer my pack, I offer my territory, to you. If you would have it, they are yours in recompense for what I tried to take from you. For the crime I committed in invading your territory, nearly exposing myself to humans. For the wrong I inflicted, deceiving your pack and attacking your mate." He nodded at Rhydian. "For all these things, I can only ask your forgiveness, show you my regrets, and offer a way to make amends." He bowed his head low. His head grazed the dirt. His entire pack gaped at the scene, absolutely stunned.

For one alpha to bend knee to another like this—in his own territory. It was unheard of!

The formal apology wasn't a literal offer for Maddy to take Alric's pack and territory, yet the symbolism of the words weren't lost on anyone. Alric was humbling himself before her as thoroughly as any wolfblood could. It would have devastating consequences for the old alpha if he wasn't careful…or depending on how Maddy reacted. Alric risked losing the respect of his own pack right now. Only a very self-assured alpha could afford to do what he'd just done.

Maddy reeled at the grand gesture. She didn't want to forgive him. She almost wanted to hate him for what he had tried to do to Rhydian. _What would Mum and Dad do?_ She knew the answer the moment she asked it. _They would want me to forgive him, if he really has changed._ Regardless of what her parents would have done though, Maddy knew her own heart. Hatred was an emotion that just hadn't been hardwired into her brain. It wasn't that she was innocent or naïve or too trusting—none of those things. It wasn't about idealism either. It was that Maddy saw the potential in people, even when it hid behind so many imperfections. This was why Maddy always gravitated to the role of alpha, whether she liked it or not. She loved bringing out the best in others…easing other people's suffering. And she couldn't be that alpha, she couldn't be who she was, and still understand the attraction of hatred.

Yes, she might always feel bitter towards Damian's siblings for the role they played in her parents' death…but _hatred_? It was like a disease she couldn't understand—and never wanted to.

Had Alric changed? With this breath-taking display of humility, she knew it in her heart. He truly had. She sniffed and blinked back tears. She reached her hand out, gently resting her fingers on Alric's head.

She let her voice sail strongly into the primeval woods around them, echoing through trees that had seen a half millennia of time pass by like a fading sunset. She didn't know what she was supposed to say, so she did the next best thing; she chose her words carefully. She matched the formal cadence of Alric's apology.

"Let the feud between our packs be over. I forgive the past. I look towards the future." Maddy nodded and stepped back, bowing slightly to show that Alric should stand. The powerfully built wolfblood stood up. He bowed towards Maddy one more time before the howling of all the other wolfbloods filled the air. It was a sound of approval—loud and rich and pure, like a symphony rooted in Nature's essence. Suddenly Maddy didn't feel nervous at all. Her heart felt balanced with satisfaction.

Rhydian came up beside her, kissing her in front of the entire pack. His mouth dipped to her neck. He playfully nuzzled her as she groaned and pried herself free from his distracting heat.

"Rhydian!"

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. "I'm just so proud of you. You handled that way better than I expected."

"Hey!" Maddy cried. She shoved him onto his butt as he laughed. Alric was already coming up to her, his sober eyes brimming with preoccupations.

"May we talk for a few moments, Maddy? Will you walk with me?"

Maddy nodded. "Of course."

When Rhydian saw his mate walking away with the other alpha it took everything he had not to follow. He wanted to eavesdrop. _No…I have to respect Maddy more than that. Whatever she finds out from Alric about the book and Denarus, she'll tell me what I need to know._

 **ONE HOUR LATER…**

Maddy, Rhydian, Jana, Matei and Emilia had decided to go on a run of their own before the full moon came that night. They flew through the woods like wolves possessed. Their limbs sped over the leaf-covered forest floor. Maddy felt the blood pounding through her veins. With Rhydian right beside her, she felt strong in a way she hadn't felt since—since before she'd fled from Stoneybridge.

Rhydian's lupine grin was a match to her own as he bumped her with his shoulder.

 _Run with me. I bet you can't catch me._ His wolfy expression could practically communicate with Maddy as good as any human words. Her wolfy grin answered his as she catapulted right behind him. Her playful growl rose in her throat as she leapt. Rhydian grunted as she landed on top of him, sending them both sliding down an embankment. At the last second Rhydian righted himself, just at the river's edge. Maddy nimbly sprang up beside him, nuzzling his face. Then he nuzzled hers. They licked each other, then nuzzled some more as their tails wagged.

 _I love you, Rhydian._

 _I love you too._ Their wolves covered each other in their scents. They rubbed up against each other, nipping playfully. Finally satisfied, they found the rest of their friends and ran their hearts out. Ran ragged until they could hardly breathe. After what seemed like three hours, but was only one…they broke apart from Jana and the siblings.

They loped over to the tent Jana had shown them earlier and changed back into their human forms.

The tent stood apart, well on its own. It was customary for a wild pack to give their guests plenty of space and privacy. The gentle gurgle of a brook joined the rustle of leaves like Nature's way of whispering _welcome_. Trees screened the tent from the casual eye. Maddy and Rhydian stepped inside. The tent was fairly big, easily big enough for them both to stand. There were two sleeping bags on the ground, plenty of blankets. Meat strips tucked into plastic bags in the corner—in case they got hungry, of course.

Rhydian's carefree smile evaporated once the adrenaline from their run with Jana, Matei and Emilia wore off. "So Mads…what did Alric have to say?"

Maddy told him. She spared no details. Alric's voice seemed to haunt the tent as she recounted his words.

 _"Denarus' reputation as a healer is ruined. Even if another pack eventually takes him, he will no longer have any power. We shunned him, we marked him, a mark that not even the wolf's change can't heal. As to why he gave you the book—Denarus is one of a dying breed of healers called 'purists.' There are still a few healers who believe that not only is Menolith permissible for wolfbloods to use, but they believe that it must be used. The precious few who can resist falling into its temptations and losing themselves are the "pure" wolfbloods who deserve to live and procreate. The others…well, if they die…they die. And that, according to these healer 'purists,' is what's best for wolfblood-kind."_

The heat of Rhydian's reaction surprised her. She wasn't ready for it.

"Shunned? Is that all?" Rhydian shouted. He clenched his fists, pacing. "They should have killed him! He doesn't deserve to live after what he nearly did to you. I'll tear him limb from limb. I'll—

Maddy tried to comfort him, but he shrugged her off, his anger raging. This wasn't the Rhydian she knew, but things between them had changed since she fled to Canada. With Maddy's parents gone, his urge to protect her had been growing. His face turned red. His wolf clearly was bursting to the fore. The blue of his eyes shattered, replaced by vivid yellow.

He prepared to bolt from the tent. "I'm going to talk to Alric about this. Denarus needs to pay."

In that moment Maddy loved Rhydian more than anything. That he would be so outraged for her, that he would care so deeply about her that he would do anything to avenge her. But of course that wasn't what she wanted. The girl just wanted him. And that's what Maddy realized, thinking back to why she'd been nervous and fearful during the trip out to Alric's pack. Ever since losing her parents, she'd subconsciously been worrying, _If I lost them in the blink of an eye, won't I lose Rhydian the same way? What if what we have can be taken away just like that? In a heartbeat. Can I still risk loving him? Can I still open my heart to him? Can I be with him if I don't even trust what the next day will bring?_ Maddy knew she loved Rhydian, but she didn't know if her heart could handle another loss…and all that fear spiraled in the pit of her stomach like a poison, telling her it wasn't worth the risk. That she couldn't survive another devastation.

And yet… her fear swirled away now, like water down a drain. Seeing Rhydian's passion, seeing how much he cared for her—it made Maddy realize something. _No matter what, we'll fight for each other. Even when something terrible happens, I can count on Rhydian and he can count on me. That we try to be there for each other, no matter what, that's the only peace of mind I really need. He loves you, Mads, and you love him…he loves you to the moon and back, and he'll fight for you. So you should at least have the strength to fight for him._

Seeing Rhydian's passion, even if it was boiling over in anger, Maddy did the completely unexpected. As he tried to stomp out of the tent, she caught his wrist and spun him around.

"Rhydian Morris, look at me."

Quietly and efficiently Maddy began shrugging out of her clothes.

"Mads, what are you doing?!"

Then she was just standing there, just _her_. No walls between them. She stared at him steadily.

"Rhydian, I don't want Denarus to pay." She watched his eyes widen, as he looked on her bare body, beautiful and perfect in his eyes.

"What do you want?" Rhydian murmured.

"I want _you_ , Rhydian. All I care about is _you_." Her vision was awash in a blur of tears, and she didn't care. In fact, she welcomed them. She reached her hand out, trailing her fingers in a soft, smooth arc down his cheek. Rhydian closed his eyes, gasping at her touch, at the way it rocked him to the core. She watched as his entire body relaxed under her fingertips. The anger slid out of him like venom sucked from a wound.

"Rhydian," she said softly. He looked at her tenderly, his passion barely caged. She knew what he wanted to do to her, and she wanted him to do it.

"Are you sure, Mads? Are you ready?"

She blushed, finally feeling a trace of shyness at being completely bare in front of her boyfriend. Yet she smiled and lost herself in his blue eyes, incredibly blue—like sunlit water.

"I'm sure, Rhydian." She smirked at him. "And I'm getting cold. So come warm me."

Rhydian fumbled in his rucksack for something, pulling out the unopened wrapper like it was the best prize ever.

Maddy's cute face erupted in giggles as Rhydian pulled her to him.

"Ah, don't be like that now," he said, grinning. And then his hands were sliding down her back, exploring, tenderly leaving memories whenever his touch singed her skin like invisible fire to make her aware of his every movement, all of it seared into her mind. She felt their lips join as Rhydian gently lowered her onto the sleeping bags. Soon Rhydian's clothes were flying off too. Soon it was just the heat of their combined bodies keeping out the cold.

"Maddy Smith, you are amazing, and I will always love you."

"Promise?" she whispered, kissing him with sensuous care, his groan answered as a moan escaped her lips.

"Tell me one thing, Mads. Just one thing. Why now? Why are you ready…for this?"

The wolfblood girl cupped Rhydian's face as her eyes brimmed with the happiest tears. "Because, Rhydian…I'm done worrying about what I might lose. That's not a way to live life. It's not what my parents would want for me. It's not what _I_ want." She nuzzled the side of his neck and then whispered in his ear.

"You told me that you weren't sure if I was ready to take this step…after everything that's happened. But it's _because_ of everything that's happened that I know now. This feels right. This is what I want." She smiled up at him. "This is me moving forward. No longer being afraid."

Rhydian grinned back at her. "Don't you mean 'us' moving forward?" The wolfblood boy leaned down, capturing her lips. Moments later the two wolfbloods became mates in the truest sense. The rest of the world might as well have faded away. Lost in each other, a wolfblood boy and a wolfblood girl found the thing they needed most. The courage to love.


	22. Maddy's Last Chance

**Chapter 22 - Maddy's Last Chance**

 _This is hard. Really hard._ Rhydian craned his neck and looked at the rucksack almost beyond arm's reach of the sleeping bag. Maddy was snuggled up against him inside the sleeping bag, her bare body soft and warm against his. Her head rested peacefully on his chest. He didn't want to move. Ever. This was perfect. He didn't want to give it up.

But at the same time…the artist in him was adamant. _She looks so beautiful. You have to capture this moment, Rhydian. You have to._ So…very, very carefully, the wolfblood boy reached up, tugging his rucksack gently towards him. He quietly fished around in the outer pocket for his sketchbook and a pencil. The way Maddy was situated, he had his other arm around her, so he could really only use the one hand. It was a challenge, but Rhydian managed it. He _finally_ rummaged out his sketchbook, propped it against his leg, and started to draw.

First he captured the waves of Maddy's hair—dark brown, rich strands of silk that framed her adorable face. She looked so serene, like an angel clutched to his side. His pencil moved in a blur. The need to channel his emotions was so intense and right now the pencil was the lifeline to get it all out, to keep him from going crazy. He kept sketching madly, instinctively, just with total dedication…until at last he'd captured the perfect memory he hoped he would never forget.

 _God, she's so beautiful. I'm the luckiest guy in the world._ He grinned. _I'm starting to sound like a lovesick fool. Too bad I don't care._

Maddy stirred, wrinkling her nose as she almost sneezed on his chest. He put a finger to her nose, keeping the sneeze at bay as Maddy's eyes fluttered open. A contented grin stole across her face.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey, smelly girl. You're finally awake."

Maddy laughed. It was the best kind of music. "You haven't called me that since…"

"Since the day we met," he agreed. He tweaked her nose playfully and then stroked her hair, just staring at her.

Mads sighed. She kissed his bare chest and then softly stroked her hand up and down him…eyes dimming in thought.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm thinking I don't want to move from this spot." Maddy squinted at the dying sun leaking through the slit in the tent flap. The full moon was fast approaching. They would have to get dressed soon to prepare to go running with the wild pack. Maddy should have been giddy with excitement—her first full moon running free with a whole wild wolfblood pack—and she _was_. Just not as excited as she'd expected to be. Of course she and Rhydian taking their relationship to a new level had a lot to do with that. This moment in time was like a mini-universe, just the two of them, which she just wasn't prepared to give up. Not yet.

"Hey, what're you working on?" she reached over and tilted Rhydian's sketchbook so she could see. Even though it was a simple drawing in pencil, his skill made it look like a masterpiece. She marveled how he'd captured her perfectly. The soft lines of her face, the curves of her hair draped across his body. The love he'd put into each stroke of his pencil was more profound than any words he could have said. She teared up a little. She smiled.

"What do you think of it?"

"I _love_ it. I just wish more of _you_ was in the drawing too."

The two wolfbloods had been so focused on each other, they weren't aware of anyone approaching until it was too late. Jana rushed in, chest pounding, breathing ragged.

Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when she saw them together in the one sleeping bag.

Maddy squirmed down deeper into the sleeping bag to keep Jana from getting a full frontal view. Rhydian sat up, making sure he was only visible from the waist up.

"Jana! Have you never heard of knocking? At least call out before you burst in on someone!" Rhydian almost howled.

"Geez Jana!" Maddy yelped. Jana's face turned bright red but she rushed ahead breathlessly anyway.

"Sorry guys! It's just—this is urgent. Ceri and Gerwyn are here, they have a message for Maddy. They want to speak to you right away, Mads, before the full moon hits. We don't have much time!" Jana was already halfway outside the tent, gesturing forcefully. "Get some clothes on and come _on_. I'll meet you outside."

Rhydian and Maddy exchanged a look of alarm. So much for their perfect moment. Plus, now the whole pack would find out that they were a true mated couple. As the two wolfbloods locked gazes, their thoughts turned identical. _Now what? What could be so important that Ceri and a weakened Gerwyn would rush all the way out here and strand themselves here for the full moon?_ Whatever it was, Maddy worried that the news couldn't be good…

 **Back at the Wild Pack's Camp…**

"That's _all_?" Jana said.

Gerwyn shrugged. "I just came along for the ride. This wasn't _my_ idea." He gave his wife a withering look.

Ceri glanced at Maddy apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you, cub."

 _I'm not a cub!_ Maddy wanted to shout. Maddy's face clouded over as she considered.

Ceri took Maddy by the hand. "It's totally up to you. Jeffries was sure you would want to know."

Maddy licked her lips and Rhydian tried to just stand close to her, to just be the supportive boyfriend. He slipped an arm around her waist.

"Whatever you want to do, Mads—it's your call," he murmured.

"I can't believe you're even considering it. Who cares if he goes? You're better off without Damian and his stupid pack," Jana huffed. "Tell me you aren't really—"

"Let her decide, Jana," Rhydian cut in. "It's _her_ choice."

"How did Jeffries even find out?" Maddy asked. She ran a hand through her hair, groaning, hating both of her options.

Ceri gave Maddy a sympathetic look. "It's a long story, one we don't have time for. But I'll say this: Jeffries felt you deserved to know. And it's certain: Elizabeth plans to take Damian and his siblings to the airport early tomorrow morning. They've booked the pickup for 7am. So if you want to talk to Damian or see him before he goes back to America, you'll have only this one last chance to do it."

Maddy considered. _So…it leaves me with two lovely options. Either I let Jeffries drive me and Rhydian home tonight in our wolf forms so that I can intercept Damian before he leaves tomorrow, which means I'll miss the full moon running with Jana's pack… Or I stay here and Damian leaves the UK without a word, with our two packs on awful terms._

Maddy sighed. With Elizabeth forbidding Damian to see her at all these past days and now _this_ —just leaving without any warning…what were the chances she would ever get to talk to Damian again unless Elizabeth relented? After her wolf-out incident with Jeffries, if Elizabeth wanted to hold it against her, she couldn't stop her. _But Damian needs to know that I still want to be part of his life. This might be my last, best chance to make sure he knows it._ Maddy bit her lip, shifting on her feet, frustrated…grasping for an easy solution that wasn't there.

"Jeffries is waiting at the trailhead by the road. He'll be there for another hour. The decision is up to you," Ceri repeated. She pulled Gerwyn along. "We'll leave you alone to decide." Ceri glanced up at the gathering dusk. "But don't fret too long. Jeffries can load you and Rhydian up in the car in your wolf forms, but he needs to head back before it gets too late."

There were two other thorny issues to consider, Maddy realized. _If I DO go back tonight, being cooped up as a wolf in the boot of Jeffries' car might be absolute hell, plus Rhydian would insist on coming along and suffering too._ He wouldn't let her do this alone, that was just the type of boyfriend Rhydian was. Which left the final, equally daunting obstacle Maddy had to wrestle with. Since Jeffries didn't have room in his bungalow for two restless wolves, he would have to lock them in the den at her parents' house. She'd have to return to the place with all the memories she'd been avoiding these past months. _Home._

Maddy whirled around, pacing restlessly and clenching her fists. Jana tried to catch Rhydian's eye, but he was just watching Maddy patiently, gauging her emotions.

Jana stalked over to cut off Maddy's back-and-forth route in mid-pace. "Maddy, this is ridiculous. There's nothing to decide. You belong here, with my father's pack tonight. Don't you remember? The full moon is going to be so _amazing_ , and this is what you need—to be surrounded by a proper wolfblood pack. Let your half-brother go. He's done nothing but bring tragedy into your life anyway, hasn't he?"

Rhydian and Maddy suddenly noticed another wolfblood's presence: Matei, the slim, dark-haired wolfblood with the thoughtful gaze, hovered just beyond their tight-knit group, listening and watching.

"Look, Jana. You know I was looking forward to this night more than anything," Maddy pleaded, anguish lacing her voice. "But this is something…this is something I have to do." Maddy tried to face down the hurt on Jana's face. "If it's my last best chance to mend things with Damian and his pack, then I have to try."

Jana exploded. "So, hold on…you'd insult my dad's pack? Just up and leave and run back to Stoneybridge to accomplish _what_ , exactly? Say goodbye to a half-brother you didn't even know you had until like a month ago?" Jana took hold of Maddy by the shoulders as if she wanted to shake some sense into her. "We're your friends, Maddy. I'm of your pack, and this is my family. My dad's changed and now he's welcoming you into his territory. Treating you like one of his own. Don't throw it back in his face like this. I thought you wanted to move forward with your life, Maddy. Let Damian go. You can make new friends with Matei, Emilia, other members of the wild pack. _We're_ your friends, don't lose sight of that!"

Rhydian thrust himself between the two wolfblood girls. He turned on Jana, his eyes flashing yellow. "Why are you making Maddy choose? She shouldn't have to." The blue-eyed wolfblood jabbed an accusing finger at Jana's chest. "You think this is easy for her? Why don't you start acting like a true friend instead of a spoiled alpha's daughter, and just be there for Mads instead of telling her what to do!" Jana's eyes flashed as she growled back, but Rhydian wouldn't back down. He planted his feet firmly and made himself the buffer zone between Jana and Maddy.

He'd figured something out, and he wasn't about to back down, not when he realized what was _really_ at stake.

Rhydian's thoughts turned away from the Damian problem itself, and towards what it told him about Maddy's state of mind. _If she's willing to suffer in her wolf form for a long car ride AND if she's willing to stay the night in her parents' den, all for the chance to make things right with Damian…then it means she doesn't want to fear the past anymore._ Jana had it exactly wrong, to Rhydian's way of thinking. Maddy going back to try to set things right with Damian, _that_ was the choice of the fearless Mads he knew and loved, who never ran from a problem even when it was inconvenient. Even when it downright sucked.

"Jana," Maddy said, "There will be other full moons. I can run with your father's pack another night." She shook her head sadly. "But I've only got one half-brother, and he needs to know how much I care about him. I don't want seeing me bite Jeffries to be the last thing he remembers about me. I won't let that define our relationship…not if I can help it." Maddy sighed, reaching out towards Jana to give her a hug. Jana took a step back, her face cold.

"Do what you have to do then. I'll inform Alric," Jana said stiffly. Turning on her heel, the redhead vanished. Maddy looked down at the ground, hating herself a little. Then suddenly Matei was there, standing right beside her.

Rhydian bristled, thinking Jana's unofficial boyfriend was just about to add another argument to bolster Jana's guilt trip on Mads. Instead, Matei put a comforting hand on Maddy's shoulder as he shocked them both.

"Hey Maddy, don't worry about us." A secretive smile crept across his face. "Jana's just being Jana. Sometimes she can be all fire, sometimes she can be all ice." Matei chuckled. "I'm sorry you just got a little dose of _both_. She's just disappointed, that's all. She thought two of her best friends would get to run with her dad's pack tonight. She wanted, for once, to have her entire pack and her dad's pack, all the people she cares about most, wolfing out free and fierce under the same full moon." Matei shrugged. "But you know what? She'll get over it. Alric will respect your decision, Maddy." The soft-spoken wolfblood boy nodded at Rhydian and then at Maddy. "Do what you have to do. Don't make any apologies for it. You didn't ask for my opinion—but there you have it."

Maddy swiped at the beginnings of a tear. She looked up at Matei's quiet strength, her rueful grin sneaking out. She gave Matei a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." She started to walk back towards Rhydian only to turn back for a split second. "I can see why Jana keeps you around," she called with a wink. "I think you're a good influence on her."

Matei smiled, shaking his head as Rhydian fell into step beside Maddy.

"We have to hurry, Mads. It's not a short walk to the trailhead."

"I know. Ahhh! Bloody hell." Maddy and Rhydian both froze. They stared at their hands and wrists. Inky streams of dark blue to black swam up their skin, leaping up their arms. The change, the full moon, had begun…

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans! Hopefully you didn't see any of this coming. I'm trying to keep the story fresh and judging from PMs and comments it's succeeding so far :) Please let me know what you think, leave a review. Next chapter we'll have a final revelation between Mads and Damian's pack. Oh, and we'll find out about Maddy's birthday present(s)…which are far more unusual than Maddy could have guessed…!**


	23. Jeffries' Gift

**Chapter 23 - Jeffries' Gift**

It had been a _long_ night—one that involved not much in the way of sleep. Jeffries took a swig from his coffee thermos. The heat rushed through his veins as he watched the entrance of the house Damian's mother had been renting.

Maddy and Rhydian had whined the entire car ride back to Stoneybridge. The head teacher had never heard sounds so pitiful in his life. The real surprise had happened later, though. When he had tried to leave Maddy and Rhydian in the underground den of the Smiths' old house, Maddy had whined more keenly than ever. She had come up and tugged on his pants leg with her teeth, hinting that she wanted him to stay in the den with them for the night.

Reluctantly, he had…but quite frankly he'd been shocked that Maddy had wanted him to. He had a theory as to why she'd begged for him to stay. He planned to either confirm or disprove it soon enough. It was gnawing at him. He just had to know why.

Maddy had just now crossed the street and was starting up the front walk. As for Rhydian, he was nowhere to be found—and that was by design. They'd left a very irate Rhydian back at Jeffries' bungalow. He'd argued for going with Maddy, but Maddy had been stubborn.

" _Your instinct is going to be to protect me, and I need to do this on my own. I need to talk to Damian on my own."_

 _"Then why are you letting Jeffries come with?" Rhydian protested._

 _"Because," Maddy smirked, "He's going to keep his distance. Plus Jeffries isn't going to 'wolf out' on me, now is he?"_

 _Jeffries walked into the kitchen and folded his arms. "Are you two quite finished? Rhydian, I think Maddy has made it very clear, the best thing you can do now is to be patient and let her speak to Damian alone." Jeffries' gaze switched to Maddy. "Are you ready to go?"_

That had been a half hour ago. Jeffries rubbed at the grizzled whiskers on his chin, seeing his breath mist in the frigid morning air. He should have been a nervous wreck. After all, the last time Maddy had encountered Elizabeth, Damian and his two siblings, Maddy had bitten Jeffries, blood gushing everywhere…

And yet, something in Maddy had changed. The history teacher didn't have superhuman wolfblood senses, but he had something almost as good. Well-attuned instincts. You didn't teach teenagers for over a decade and retain your sanity without very good instincts. When a new student came into his class, it never took Jeffries long to instinctively sense what kind of person they were. He could always anticipate the problem students before the real warning signs manifested. Much as Maddy liked to tease him about his famous line— _Nothing in this school gets past me!_ —when it came to some things it was actually true.

Jeffries watched as Maddy knocked on the front door. Elizabeth answered. He watched their exchange. It was maddening to see what was going on but not to be able to _hear_. Whatever Elizabeth said, it made Maddy stiffen. She came back down the front walk. Once she was halfway across the street walking towards him, Jeffries saw it. The look of total devastation on the girl's face. Jeffries was about to open his mouth as Maddy came up to him. At the last second, though, her face hardened. Sparks flew behind her eyes.

"I'll be right back," she muttered. She marched right back up that front walk, a purpose to her stride. She rapped on the door. Elizabeth answered again. Jeffries watched with renewed interest as Maddy talked to her, as animated as he had ever seen her. Jeffries tensed. _Do I need to intervene?_ Elizabeth vanished. Maddy waited. The wolfblood girl took a step back as Damian came outside. The two teenagers walked down the front walk and stood talking by the curb. Maddy was all animated again.

Jeffries put down his coffee thermos. He couldn't stand it any longer. Curiosity had pricked him like a needle with a drug. Thinking he was being subtle, Jeffries sauntered over to within hearing of Maddy and Damian, using a parked car for cover. He began to catch snatches of the conversation as he crossed the street.

"I just thought…you're better off if we just go our separate ways, you know?" Damian was saying. "I'm sorry I had Mom lie. This was my decision, mine alone, to stop seeing you," Damian confessed. "But I did it because I decided it's what's best for you."

"Maybe I don't need my stupid half-brother deciding what's best for me, eh? Maybe I don't need protecting!" Maddy stormed.

Damian flinched. "Look, there's a lot going on right now. Mom and Dad have split up because of her hiding secrets from him—including the secret me not being _his_ son. You don't want to be associated with my pack. We're a complete mess right now. Besides, we aren't going to see each other until who knows when, right? I mean, we have an ocean stretched between us. We—"

Jeffries watched as Maddy whipped out the envelope he had given her. Her belated birthday present. "You need a time and a place? Here's one," Maddy insisted. She showed Damian the plane tickets to Virginia.

"Jeffries got them for me for my birthday. There was a note inside, saying I could visit you once a year if I wanted to." Damian looked stunned while Maddy picked up steam. "Ocean or not, Damian, we're family…and there are these things called 'airplanes' and 'mobiles' and the 'Internet.' We don't have to let geography keep us from being brother and sister." Maddy sighed, tears filling her eyes. "I don't blame you for my parents' death, Damian. Sure, yes, maybe we have some messed up family history now. I'm fully aware of it, believe me." Maddy swiped at her tears, choking back fresh ones. "But the more time I spend with you, the more I'm convinced maybe everything terrible that's happened also happened so something good could come out of it." Maddy's voice broke, and it sent Damian's defenses crashing down.

He enveloped her in a brotherly hug. "Hey. You know what…maybe you're right," he admitted. His voice was cracking a little too. "All of our messed up family history—it doesn't have to define us. You're still my little sis."

Maddy sniffled a little against Damian's jacket. "And you're my big brother. So stop pushing me away, damn it." She broke away and glared at him. After a few heartbeats, her eyes softened. "Okay?" Her voice was so small and delicate. Jeffries could barely hear Maddy's word. Jeffries peered from behind the parked car just in time to see Damian and Maddy hug each other as tightly as ever.

"Okay," Damian grunted. "You win."

"I always do," Maddy quipped. "It's a little sister thing." Damian grinned back at her.

"I'll give you this, you are one stubborn girl." Damian suddenly frowned, all confused. "By the way, how did you even get here so fast? I thought you were away for the full moon upcountry?"

Maddy shrugged. "Jeffries drove me in wolf form back down to Stoneybridge. Speaking of which," Maddy turned and glared in Jeffries' direction. "You know I can _smell_ you, Jeffries. You might as well come out."

 _Busted._ Jeffries came out from behind the parked sedan with a sheepish look. "Hi." He reached out and shook Damian's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you properly, Damian. I'm Tim Jeffries, Maddy's guardian."

"Damian Heartwick, Sir. Pleased to meet you."

And with that, the crisis of Damian and Maddy fizzled out in the anticlimactic way Jeffries had fervently hoped for. Jeffries waited around, letting Maddy chat with Damian until the car came to pick Damian and his family up, to go to the airport. Elizabeth, Kyle, and Steph came to the curb slowly with luggage rolling behind them, gauging Maddy's reaction and not coming too close. Damian motioned his siblings over. They both spoke briefly to Maddy. Apologies were said with sober looks. Maddy accepted them for what they were. They didn't change what had happened…but it was a start.

Later, Jeffries and Maddy were getting back into his car. _Now is your chance_ Jeffries reminded himself.

As he shifted the vehicle into gear, he said, "How do you feel about stopping at Bernie's? Milkshakes on me."

Maddy eyed him as if to say _I know there's an ulterior motive lurking around here somewhere._ But she shrugged with a smirk. "As long as you give me the cherry on top of yours, I might be persuaded…" Jeffries' subtle smile crept out, and he drove them over to Bernie's. They were sitting by a window booth, the sunlight bathing their hands as Jeffries decided how exactly he wanted to phrase the question. As confident and self-assured as Jeffries was in the school setting, in his role as teacher, he was still very much getting used to this whole 'parental thing,' which was really what being Maddy's guardian was slowly turning out to be. Delving into emotions was something Jeffries was very comfortable with on pen and paper, but in person—an entirely different story.

"Maddy…can I ask you about last night?"

Maddy nodded. Her innocent face clouded over with confusion. "What about?"

"You…you were in your wolf form, of course, and so you couldn't talk. You encouraged me to stay with you and Rhydian last night in your parents' den. I had expected you would want to be alone with Rhydian. I just would like to know, if you would be willing to share…why? Why did you want me to stay with you last night?" The subtext was clear. _I'm no wolfblood. I'm your sort-of-teacher, sort-of-guardian, something in between._ Jeffries' and Maddy's relationship had gone from this clear teacher-student dichotomy to something hazier. That definitely came through as Jeffries felt the urge to fidget, which was very unlike him.

Maddy paused, considering as she took a sip of her milkshake.

Emotion glistened in her eyes as she suddenly pulled out the envelope from her pocket—the birthday present Jeffries had given her. She slapped it down on the tabletop.

"I know the truth," Maddy blurted. "I talked to Rhydian. These plane tickets, they weren't a gift from the pack. They were _your_ gift to me. Your idea. You knew how much this would mean to me even…even before I did. You knew how much, deep down, I would want to keep Damian in my life." Maddy sighed, not a sad sigh but a sigh of admiration tinged with awe. "You…you did this for me, and I can't…I can't even put how I feel into words." Maddy's expression pinned Jeffries with a poignant intensity that made the head teacher forget the need to fidget. He reached out a hand on instinct, and Maddy took it. It took everything he had not to pat Maddy's hand and pull away. He kept it there on the table, though. He saw how much his gift had meant to her.

"In a way, your gift helped me get Damian back," she said. Maddy was tearing up again. The past few weeks had just been this epic rollercoaster—emotions flying high. She smiled at him. She squeezed his hand. "And I guess the answer, getting back to your question…is that last night, even in my wolf form, I was _thinking_. I was thinking how you'd gone to all the trouble of warning me about Damian's family leaving…about how you'd driven all the way back up to Alric's pack to pick us up and drive us back down in wolf form. About how you've done _all these things_ for me, asking nothing in return. Just being there for me when it would have been the easiest thing in the world to just pawn off my problems on someone else." The awe and love and gratitude in Maddy's gaze made Jeffries feel like a superhero.

Maddy took a fortifying breath, trying to get the last bit out. "The truth is that I was afraid of the memories, staying in the den last night. Of how it would feel with my parents being gone." She looked at him sadly but also with hope brimming behind her eyes. "And the truth, Jeffries, is that I wanted you there with me because it was just comforting to have as many people in my pack with me as I possibly could. _You're_ a part of my pack, Jeffries. You always will be. I owe you my life. I owe you so much. I asked you to stay because I guess in my own way I was trying to tell you something too. I don't want me being a wolfblood to mean that we aren't open with each other. When I'm feeling vulnerable, yes, I have Rhydian and the other wolfbloods in my pack…but I also have my human friends. Tom and Shan…and you."

Maddy blushed as she finished her little speech. She ducked behind her milkshake. Unexpectedly, Jeffries realized he had squeezed Maddy's hand.

"Maddy Smith," Jeffries said, marveling at her honesty, "that is one of the most incredible things anyone has ever said to me." His face softened in the rarest expression she'd ever seen. A side of Jeffries he showed to very few people except close childhood friends—and a wolfblood girl who had somehow snuck her way into his heart.

Jeffries coughed, yanking his hand back as the moment passed. The stuffy, formal, awkward Jeffries was back in full force. "Now, then, I suppose that's settled." Maddy studied her milkshake with a small smile and then shyly glanced up at him.

"You don't like talking about this type of stuff do you?" Maddy blurted.

Jeffries laughed unexpectedly, genuine humor just gushing out. People at some of the other tables looked their way. To Jeffries' surprise, he really didn't care. Sometimes you had to laugh at yourself; it was better than the alternatives. Maddy's guardian smiled ruefully.

"Nothing gets past you, does it Maddy Smith?"

The teenage girl shook her head with a smirk. "No, Sir. I was taught by the best, you know. You should meet my head teacher."

 **THE END…Or Is It?**

Hi Wolfblood sisters and brothers. We've come to the end at last. What a ride it's been! What began intended as a short story has turned into a 50,000 word fanfic novel in just over a month! And I could not have done it without all of you - the kind encouragement, the thoughtful comments. All the reviews just kept me going and made me want to tell a story worthy of your eyes to read. I know…sounds a bit cheesy, but it's true.

So this is the final chapter of **Mr. Jeffries and Maddy's Return**. I felt this was a perfect place to end the story. Jeffries and Maddy have reached a new understanding, and the same is true with Mads and Damian. Rhydian is helping Maddy move on with her life, and Maddy has that strength to move forward too.

I'll be posting a good-sized **Epilogue** for this story though, with good reason. There are a few questions I want to make sure I answer - things like, 'Who was maintaining the Smiths' house in Maddy's absence?' and a few other revelations that didn't quite make it into the story proper. So come back and take a look, I should have it up soon.

I'm also planning a sequel to this story, which will take place when Rhydian and Maddy are older and depict a little Rhydian or little Maddy. I have to give a shout-out to **Donuticecream** for the inspiration here because some of Donuticecream's Maddian oneshots of Maddy and Rhydian as parents gave me the idea :) Once I've started in on it, I'll update this story and my profile.

All right, everyone. Again, thank you so much. Thank you for making my first forays into fanfiction so enjoyable and just downright fun :) :)


	24. Epilogue - Maddy's Final Fear

**Chapter 24 - Epilogue - Maddy's Final Fear**

 _That drop has to be at least 50 meters. She can't…._ Rhydian tensed up. His heart pulsed madly. He fought back the urge to panic. Black veins snuck up his wrists, so he shoved them up his sleeves. His wolf was urging with every glimmer of thought— _Go save her!_

He watched as Maddy plunged off the board. Her graceful dive ended with a tiny splash. Moments later she came up for air, face and hair glistening. She swept her clingy wet hair back from her face with a smile and waved at Rhydian. Rhydian pretended a smile and waved back.

 _Bollocks. This water park is going to be the undoing of me._ Rhydian hated swimming. Hated it more than spiders or snakes or sharks or—well, _anything_. He was only here because today was the day of Maddy's mum's birthday. Seeing a new water park had opened up within a 45-minute drive of Stoneybridge, Jeffries had planned today's excursion to distract Maddy from thinking too much about her mum, or what could become a sad day.

The plan was working to perfection, so who was Rhydian to complain? He had to put up a brave front. _You can do this. Just a few more hours_. Maddy sauntered over, still dripping-wet in her pretty blue swimsuit. Rhydian would have appreciated the way the swimsuit hugged her curves, except his sky-high anxiety distracted him too much to think like a typical male. Maddy's cute face slid into a smirk as she leaned over to snatch her water bottle.

"You're sure you don't want to join us?" She threw him a pleading look. "I bet you really would have fun if you would give it half a chance." Rhydian stared down at his sketchbook, drawing feverishly, as if every time his pencil scratched the paper, it might save his soul from the clutches of a watery grave. He glanced up at Maddy again, trying not to look terrified—which was even harder when he saw in the distance Jana, Matei, Tom, and even Emilia climbing towards the high dive, one after another, without a care in the damn world.

"Really, Mads…swimming's not my thing. You go have fun. I'll just watch from a safe distance."

Maddy left her pouty look in place for just a few more seconds. She leaned over carefully, making sure she didn't drip on his sketchbook as she pressed her lips gently to his. "Suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind. Matei brought along an extra pair of shorts." Maddy scampered off, eager to get in line before a gaggle of kids clogged up the queue for the high dive.

Rhydian stared down at his drawing—a double portrait of Maddy in human form and wolf form on one side of the page, his double forms on the other. He'd already decided this one would have to be in color. He rummaged up some colored pencils, sharpening one that would fit the chocolate brown of Maddy's wolf. Shan's laughter yanked him out of his focus. The wolfblood boy turned with a scowl.

"Is something funny?"

Shan lay back on the sunbathing chair with a good book propped in her lap. She grinned. "Funny? No. Hilarious? Yes." She stifled another giggle. "I've never seen you so frightened, Rhydian. Every time Maddy goes off the high dive I can practically see your heart leaping out of your throat to make a dive right here on the concrete. It's _pathetic_." She shook her head, clucking her tongue. "You really should have Maddy or maybe Jana give you some swimming lessons. Couldn't hurt, could it? It's better than living in terror, don't you think?"

"I am NOT living in terror," Rhydian said.

"Who's not living in terror?" Jeffries asked, walking up mid-conversation.

Shan opened her mouth. "I was just telling Rhydian how—" Her voice petered out as Rhydian's eyes glowed like hot coals.

"Rhydian, when Maddy's done at the high dive will you tell her that I need to see her?" Jeffries shuffled through some papers. He had already snagged one of the few shady tables at Sedgequinn's Water Park. Setting it up like his own personal outdoor office, Jeffries had laid out the reports from the guidance counselors, plus some homework assignments he still had to mark up. It was light work compared to grading exams, but necessary. The fact that Jeffries was willing to take care of it outside of his school office had raised more than a few eyebrows. Then again, it had been two months and a week since Maddy's half-brother Damian had gone back to Virginia. Since taking Maddy in, Jeffries had slowly changed. He'd become…less insulated by routine, more flexible. More resilient.

Jeffries was still the same Jeffries, only now he was something more. Rhydian finally put his finger on it. _He's not the predictable Mr. Jeffries we used to know._ A genuine smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. _Then again, a few wolfblood disasters here and there will teach anyone to not be TOO predictable._

Things in Stoneybridge had settled into a much deserved stretch of normalcy ever since Damian's departure. Taking full advantage of it, Maddy's pack and Alric's pack had begun to mingle, especially with Matei and Emilia coming by to see Jana more and more. Next month, Maddy would fly over to visit Damian in Virginia. Rhydian wasn't sure how he felt about it, but then again, Maddy wouldn't be going alone. Ceri and Gerwyn were going with her, which meant that even if Damian's stupid pack did act up, Maddy would still be in good hands. A half hour later Maddy came over wringing water out of her hair, distracting Rhydian from his work.

"Mads, Jeffries wants to see you." Rhydian jerked his thumb in the direction of Jeffries' 'outdoor office.'

"Did he say what about?"

Rhydian shrugged. "Not sure."

Maddy walked barefoot, trying to avoid the hotter sections of blacktop where the water park staff had patched up damaged spots on the concrete. Finally she made it to the table where Jeffries sat, hunched over, poring over a mess of papers.

"Maddy. You're here. Good. Someone has something to tell you, and also a gift for you." Jeffries fidgeted with the pen in his hand. The pen swung back and forth as Jeffries' face clouded over in thought.

The teenage wolfblood waved her hand in front of Jeffries' face. "Hello? Why are you being so cryptic? Who has to tell me what? What's this about a gift?" Jeffries folded his hands together in a prayer-like gesture. He looked at Maddy directly, a sudden intensity to his eyes.

"I need you to be open-minded, Maddy. You don't have to accept the gift if you don't want it, but I want you to hear him out. That's all I ask. I think if you do, you will be glad you did. Agreed?"

Not sure just what she was agreeing to, Maddy slowly nodded. "Umm…sure."

Jeffries' face brightened. "Good. Wait here, then. I'll be right back."

 _Why do I feel butterflies as big as birds in my stomach?_ Maddy wondered. Jeffries was acting odd. It made her think that this 'gift,' whatever it was, might not be such a good thing after all. The wolfblood girl wrapped her bathing towel around her shivering body as a gust of wind rippled through, setting off lines of goose bumps across her shoulders. The longer she stayed out of the pool, the more her body temperature skewed out of balance. _Jeffries, hurry up!_

The brown-eyed girl nearly ran when she saw who Jeffries came back with. Maddy's face turned ashen.

 _Liam._

"Well, I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes," Jeffries said breezily. Maddy wanted to take a bite out of him as he walked away. She stifled the instinct to growl at Liam. Why shouldn't she growl, though? He had been the fundamental _reason_ she had had to flee Stoneybridge with her family. _He_ had been the one who had made her 'wolf out' by bragging about how his ancestors were 'werewolf killers.' When Maddy had discovered that there was evidence to suggest that Liam wasn't just bragging, she'd lost it…she'd wolfed out and his suspicions had led to her parents deciding that they had to flee Stoneybridge.

Now it was all coming full circle. The boy she wanted to avoid as much as possible standing right in front of her. If Jeffries was trying to test her self-control, he had a great way of showing it.

"Hey Maddy. I know I'm probably the last person you want to see."

Liam wasn't dressed for the water park at all. He had on a T-shirt and jeans with a rucksack over his shoulder. He looked away, clearly uncomfortable. He gave her a sheepish, regretful look.

"I came to tell you something, to give you something…and, believe it or not, to ask you for something."

Maddy resisted the urge to snort. _Oh really? This should be good!_

"What could you have that I might possibly want?" Maddy snapped. Liam flinched, but to his credit he didn't let it stop him. He managed to meet Maddy's glare.

"First, I have to confess something. Your parents' old house…"

"What of it?" Whatever Liam had to say, Maddy just wanted to get this over with.

"I hired someone to look after it, to upkeep the place. Maintain it for…when you, if you ever returned. Which you have, I guess, so that's good."

Maddy tried to process what he'd just said. "Wait…excuse me? What did you say?"

"I mean, I know my folks aren't rich or anything, but I work a part-time job now most evenings. It's enough anyway, so I hired a landscaper to make sure the place didn't look too un-lived in, and I paid a handy man to just check in on it once in a while."

Stunned, Maddy frowned. "Why would you do that?"

Liam sighed, looked away. "After you and your family left, I realized some things." There it was again, regret in Liam's eyes. "Look, it's easier if I show you." He rummaged around in his rucksack, shifting a few things before he drew out a weathered, battered old journal preserved in a clear, thick plastic sleeve.

"This is my family's journal. Every wolfblood hunter in my family going back generations has written in it." Maddy's eyes widened. "I read it after you and your family left…and what I realized, as I read more and more of the entries, was that being a 'wolfblood hunter' wasn't this great thing, like I thought. It's not…what's in these pages, it's not something to be proud of." Liam grimaced. "The things they did, to wolfbloods who were just trying to blend in and live along peacefully with people…in these pages most of my ancestors _enjoyed_ what they did. It reads almost like they just enjoyed killing for the sake of, I don't know, killing. Like if there weren't wolfbloods around, they would have found an excuse to go after someone else."

Liam sat down and placed the journal on the table. He carefully drew it out of the plastic sleeve and opened it to the very back pages. "But then I read the last set of entries, by the very last active wolfblood hunter in my family. Her name was Rose." Liam stubbornly met Maddy's gaze as he turned the book towards her. "And you know what I found out? I found out that she decided that wolfbloods were people, just like her. She talks about becoming friends with a wolfblood boy and his family. At the very end of the journal, she talks about how she's going to be the last wolfblood hunter in my family." Liam gently closed the book, put it back into its plastic sleeve, and offered it up to Maddy with both hands.

"It's yours, if you want it. Destroy it. Keep it. Do with it whatever you want to." Liam cringed. "It's not something I'm proud of anymore. Please. Take it."

Maddy gingerly took the book from his grasp and set it aside close to her on the table. Liam stood up.

"For what's it worth, Maddy, I am sorry. I know now—you aren't a monster. You're just…different." He tried a sheepish smile. Her face softened, just barely.

Maddy would never have warm and fuzzy feelings towards Liam. There was way too much history there. It wasn't about forgiving or not forgiving. Liam himself was like a walking reminder of what she'd lost. Jeffries inviting him to talk to her on this day, of all days, meant that Jeffries thought she had grown much stronger than even _she_ had realized. The thought hit her like a thunderbolt. _Jeffries wouldn't have let Liam show me this if he didn't think I could handle it._ To Maddy's surprise, she suddenly felt it. _And you know what? Jeffries was right._

Maddy nodded at Liam. "Apology accepted, I guess. So…what about the third thing? What do you want from me?" _Is it my forgiveness? Because that's not something I can just give away. It has to happen on its own._

Liam's face turned bright scarlet. He shifted awkwardly, looking like a shy puppy. It was almost hard for Maddy to dislike him now. In fact, she consciously made herself try to see him in a neutral way.

"Reading Rose's entries, it kind of inspired me. I've always wanted to write, so I wrote a story based on her experience. It's a story about a werewolf hunter who becomes friends with a werewolf. I changed a bunch of stuff so that no one can trace it back to wolfbloods. I was hoping…if it's okay with you, maybe I could have you take a look at it? Make sure it won't expose any wolfblood secrets. And maybe, I don't know, you can give me your thoughts on it?" Liam kicked at the ground, staring at it like he wanted the concrete to swallow him up.

Maddy was speechless. Her anger and hatred for Liam melted…he was just another awkward boy. Still kind of an arse, but at least a run-of-the-mill arse instead of the enemy he'd once been. It hit her hard, like a punch to the chest. _Liam, of all people…has actually changed._ She marveled at it. The right shared experience, the right story, had made him see things in this entirely new light. _Mum, Dad, maybe there's hope for anyone. If Liam can become a better person, then I can definitely be a stronger and better person. I miss you guys so much, but I'm carrying you with me in my heart._

Maddy felt a surge of emotion…but also mischief. She noted that Liam was wearing typical clothes, whereas she was still soaking wet from her diving.

She gave Liam a dazzling smile. "Thank you, Liam. Yes, I would like to see your story very much. I mean it." With a cruel smirk on her face, she rushed up to give him a great, big hug, rubbing her wet hair all over him. Liam recoiled as the cold wet hair doused him in water as if someone had smothered him in a wet blanket. Maddy drew away with her vicious grin still intact. His clothes were _completely_ soaked.

"I guess that was payback?" Liam said sullenly.

Maddy winked. "What do you think?" She began walking away with the plastic case holding the journal, then turned back. "I meant what I said, Liam. I really would like to read your story."

Liam nodded as Maddy turned away.

She ran into Jeffries on the way back to the diving pool. The head teacher's eyebrows rose as he looked at her, at the turmoil of emotion on her face.

"Did you and Liam have a productive talk?" he asked.

Maddy glared at Jeffries. "You set me up, didn't you?"

Jeffries gave her this innocent look. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Maddy fumed. "Well, you were right."

Again, Jeffries was all innocence. "Right about what?"

"Don't play coy, Jeffries. I know what you were trying to do. It worked, too. I'm glad I heard him out. Me and Liam have as good as signed a peace treaty, I guess. So _there_. I hope you're happy."

The head teacher shook his head with that Mona Lisa-like smile. "I'm happy if you're happy, Maddy Smith. Congratulations on facing down another one of your fears."

Maddy smirked…then turned serious. She started to give Jeffries a wet hug without realizing it. Jeffries jumped back.

"Whoa there, words will suffice. No need to thank me with affection."

"Jeffries, thank you for trusting me. To handle Liam, to not wolf out."

Now Jeffries winked at her. "I never doubted you, Maddy, not for a second."

 _Liar_. Jeffries didn't see her grin as the wolfblood girl turned away and moved to rejoin the rest of her pack.

 **A/N - Hey Wolfblood sisters & brothers - there you have it, the epilogue. I will be shocked if anyone had predicted who was helping maintain Maddy's parents' house. Believe it or not, I had that planned in the story for quite a while… As annoying and awful as Liam was, I never got the feeling that he was nearly as bad as Dr. Whitewood. The main difference is that Whitewood is an adult who should have known better whereas Liam's problem was more ignorance than anything. Given the right knowledge, Liam could change, just like most people. Whitewood, well, she's another story :) **

**So I hope you enjoyed the epilogue. That concludes everything until I can start work on the sequel. I haven't yet decided how far in the future the sequel will take place, near future or a few years out. I've had conflicting suggestions from readers, so I'll probably wait for more ideas and see if I can get some consensus. Thanks again for reading, for commenting or reviewing! So glad to have fellow wolfblood fans who love and appreciate the wolfblood universe as much as I do.**

 **OH, and one last thing: I do have a Matei/Jana/Emilia season 4 fanfic in the planning phase. Credit goes to Ember for that suggestion. Great idea, and it should let me cover some new ground :)**


End file.
